Mario Balotelli reacts to Patrick Vieira’s Genoa sacking
Outspoken striker Mario Balotelli has seemingly taken an X-rated dig at his former teammate Patrick Vieira after the Arsenal legend was sacked by Genoa following a disastrous run in Serie A.
Vieira, who took charge of the Italian club in November 2024, managed just 10 wins in 37 games and left the side bottom of the Serie A table with three points from nine matches this season.
Balotelli, who had been frozen out of the Genoa squad during Vieira’s tenure, wasted no time responding to the news of his dismissal.
Taking to social media, the 35-year-old posted:
“Karma is a b*tch.”
He followed up with a passionate message, tagging Alberto Gilardino, Alberto Zangrillo, and Vieira, implying that Vieira and his staff had mishandled what the previous management had built.
“Now Genoa can finally focus on people who truly love the environment, the fans and the crest. The great work done by Gilardino and Zangrillo has not been lost — it was just exploited selfishly and badly by those who came after.”
Balotelli concluded by reaffirming his loyalty to the club:
“Now let’s focus on Genoa and the Genoese! Come on Genoa! Come on guys! I believed in you and I still do.”
The tension between the two is nothing new. The pair’s relationship has been rocky since their days at Nice, where Balotelli struggled under Vieira’s management, scoring no goals in ten appearances.
At the time, Vieira admitted that handling Balotelli tested his patience:
“When it comes to Mario, I want to slam him up against the wall or leave him hanging by his collar on the coat rack. But I can’t — I’m no longer a player.”
He later added in 2020:
“Mario’s mindset was difficult for a collective sport. The togetherness and work ethic I wanted to build — it was difficult for me to work with a player like Mario.”
With Vieira now out of a job and Genoa searching for stability, Balotelli remains a free agent after leaving the club in the summer. Whether his comments open the door for a return remains unclear — but what’s certain is that his rivalry with Vieira has reignited.
As Genoa aim to recover from their worst-ever start to a Serie A season, the Balotelli-Vieira feud adds yet another dramatic chapter to Italian football’s ever-unfolding soap opera.
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