Copyright sportskeeda
Mario Balotelli has slammed Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira after he was sacked by Genoa. The Italian striker was delighted that the Serie A club had parted ways with the former Crystal Palace manager.Taking to his Instagram, Balotelli said that Genoa can now focus on getting a manager who cares about the club and build on the foundation laid by the management. He hit out at Vieira and claimed that the Arsenal legend was exploiting the club and was not focused on getting them back to the top. He said (via talkSPORT):"Karma is a b****. God sees and provides. Now Genoa can finally focus on people who truly love the environment, the fans and the crest, and who deeply believe in the idea and the fact that Genoa deserves to be at the top. The great work done by Gilardino and Zangrillo has not been lost.""It was just exploited selfishly and badly by those who came after, taking advantage of what they had built with hard work, respect and passion. They exploited the immense work of Gilardino and Zangrillo, their commitment and dedication to these colours, without really understanding their value. Now let’s focus on Genoa and the Genoese! Come on, Genoa! Come on guys! I believed in you and I still do.”Balotelli played 14 matches under Vieira at Genoa in the 2024/25 season and at Nice in the 2018/19 season. He terminated his contract at both clubs after falling out with the Arsenal legend.Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira slammed Mario Balotteli in 2020Former Nice and Genoa manager Patrick Vieira slammed Mario Balotelli in 2020, calling the Italian striker's mindset unsuitable for team sport. The Arsenal legend claimed that it was difficult to work with the former Manchester City star and that was the main reason for the contract termination at the Ligue 1 club.He said (via talkSPORT):"Mario’s mindset was difficult for a collective sport. The philosophy I wanted to put in place, the togetherness and work ethic I wanted to build, it was difficult for me to work with a player like Mario. It was really difficult for both of us to work together, so we decided to go different ways."Mario Balotelli has not retired from football but is currently without a club. He left Genoa after the 2024/25 season and is currently a free agent.The Italian striker has played for 12 clubs in his career, with his most appearances coming for Inter Milan (86 games), while his most prolific spell was with Nice, where he scored 43 goals in 76 matches.
