Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli was born on 12 August 1990(34 years old) in Italy. Mario Balotelli is Soccer Player, Zodiac sign - Leo. More detail about Mario Balotelli given below.

Mario Balotelli Timeline

• 1993
  

  Balotelli was born Mario Barwuah in Palermo, Sicily to Ghanaian immigrants. The family moved to Bagnolo Mella in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, when he was two. In 1993, when he was three, he was placed in foster care to the Balotelli family when his own family was unable to pay for his health care needs. His foster parents are Silvia, the Jewish daughter of Holocaust survivors, and Francesco Balotelli. They lived in the town of Concesio, Brescia, in northern Italy.

• 2006
  

  Balotelli began his career at Lumezzane. At age 15, he was promoted to the first team, making his first team debut in a Serie C1 league match against Padova on 2 April 2006.Having had an unsuccessful trial with Barcelona at age 15, Balotelli was signed by Inter Milan in 2006 on loan with a pre-set price of u20ac150,000 to co-own the player. In June 2007, Inter exercised the option and purchased the other half for an additional u20ac190,000. On 8 November 2007, as part of Sheffield F.C.u0027s 150th anniversary celebrations, Balotelli featured in a friendly between the two sides at Sheffield Unitedu0027s Bramall Lane. The game finished 5u20132 to Inter, with Balotelli scoring twice. He made his first team and Serie A debut on 16 December 2007, replacing David Suazo in a 2u20130 win against Cagliari. Three days later, he was featured in the starting lineup in a Coppa Italia match against Reggina, scoring two goals in a 4u20131 win. Balotelli gained national attention after he scored two goals against Juventus in the return leg of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, being instrumental in a 3u20132 away win for Inter. His first Serie A goal then came in April 2008 in a 2u20130 away win against Atalanta. Inter went on to win the 2007u201308 Serie A. Balotelli was a substitute in the 2008 Supercoppa Italiana final against Roma; he came on as a replacement for Luu00eds Figo, scoring in the 83rd minute. Inter went on to win the final 6u20135 on penalties after the match ended 2u20132.

• 2007
  

  On 7 August 2007, five days before his 17th birthday, Balotelli received his first senior international call-up for Ghana from their coach Claude Le Roy for a friendly against Senegal at the New Den stadium in London, England, on 21 August 2007. He declined the offer, citing once again his willingness to play for Italy when he became eligible. He also expressed his willingness to represent Italy at international level once he acquired an Italian passport.

• 2008
  

  In November 2008, Balotelli became the youngest Inter player (at 18 years and 85 days) to score in the UEFA Champions League when he scored a goal in a 3u20133 draw against Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta, beating the previous record set by Obafemi Martins (at 18 years and 145 days). In an April 2009 match with Juventus where he scored Interu0027s only goal in a 1u20131 draw, Balotelli was racially abused by Juventus fans throughout the match. This led Inter owner Massimo Moratti to say he would have pulled the team off the pitch had he been present. The racist chants were also condemned by Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, and Juventus were issued a one-match home-fan ban because of the incident. Inter won Serie A for the fourth time in a row.Italy under-21 head coach Pierluigi Casiraghi announced his intention to call-up Balotelli once he obtained Italian citizenship. On 13 August 2008, Balotelli was finally issued Italian citizenship.Casiraghi called him to join the Italy national under-21 football team Azzurrini on 29 August for the matches against Greece and Croatia. In his debut on 5 September 2008, he scored his first international goal in a 1u20131 draw with Greece.

• 2009
  

  Balotelliu0027s disciplinary problems and his difficult relationship with Mourinho continued in the 2009u201310 season. In November 2009, Inter drew 1u20131 against Roma, after which Mourinho criticized his players, going as far as saying Balotelli "came close to a zero rating". Balotelli had another negative encounter with Juventus fans in the heated Derby du0027Italia encounter in an away match against Juventus on 5 December 2009, which Inter lost 2u20131. When he was elbowed by Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo in the shoulder, Balotelli fell theatrically onto the pitch, for which he was booked, while Melo was sent off for a second yellow card. The incident sparked an altercation between Balotelliu0027s teammate Thiago Motta and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The tension between Balotelli and Mourinho reached its peak on the eve of the UEFA Champions League second leg against Chelsea after the young striker was not called-up, following an altercation with his manager. Despite Interu0027s 1u20130 win at Stamford Bridge, Balotelli was criticized by several senior players, including captain Javier Zanetti and veteran defender Marco Materazzi, as well as by his own agent. In March 2010, he came under heavy criticism from fans after he publicly sported a Milan shirt on the Italian show Striscia la Notizia.

• 2010
  

  After a falling-out with Mourinho, Balotelli was recalled for Interu0027s April 2010 match against Bologna, and he marked his return with a goal in their 3u20130 win. He again caused controversy in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on 20 April 2010 when he threw his shirt on the ground after the final whistle in response to Inter fans who had booed him for his poor performance. He admitted three years later the incident was the only regret in his life. Disgruntled fans confronted and tried to attack Balotelli after the match. His behavior on the pitch brought disapproval from his teammates, with Javier Zanetti publicly saying, "Mario needs to focus on doing what he can do on the pitch, he canu0027t allow himself to behave like this." Amid these controversies with his club and manager, many English Premier League teams, including Manchester United and Manchester City, indicated they were interested in signing Balotelli in July 2010.After weeks of speculation, Inter reached an agreement for Balotelliu0027s transfer to Manchester City on 12 August 2010 for a u20ac21.8 million fee. At Manchester City, Balotelli reunited with his former head coach at Inter, Roberto Mancini, who said, "His style of play will suit the Premier League, and because he is still so young there is a big chance for him to improve. He is a strong and exciting player, and City fans will enjoy watching him." Balotelli exchanged squad number with teammate Greg Cunningham so he could continue to wear the number 45 shirt.On 19 August 2010, Balotelli came on as a substitute to score in his debut against Romanian side Politehnica Timiu0219oara in a 1u20130 away win in the UEFA Europa League, but during the match, injured the lateral meniscus in his right knee and on 8 September, underwent surgery that sidelined him until October. Balotelli eventually made his Premier League debut on 24 October as a substitute in a 3u20130 home defeat to Arsenal, then made his first Premier League start on 30 October in a 2u20131 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Balotelli scored his first and second Premier League goals on 7 November in a 2u20130 away win to West Bromwich Albion. In the same game Balotelli received a red card for violent conduct as the result of a clash with Youssuf Mulumbu, which his manager Roberto Mancini described as unfair. Balotelli scored the first two of Cityu0027s three goals in the 3u20130 win over Red Bull Salzburg in Manchester Cityu0027s Europa League group stage match.On 21 December 2010, Balotelli won the Golden Boy Award, saying only one of the past winners was slightly better than he was: Lionel Messi. He also claimed not to know of Arsenalu0027s Jack Wilshere, the player he narrowly beat to the award. On 28 December, Balotelli scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4u20130 win over Aston Villa. Despite this success, Balotelli still had disciplinary problems, and in March 2011, he was sent off in the second leg of Manchester Cityu0027s Europa League draw with Dynamo Kyiv. On 14 May, Balotelli was named man of the match in the 2011 FA Cup Final as Manchester City defeated Stoke City 1u20130 to win their first trophy in 35 years.On 10 August 2010, Balotelli made his first appearance for the Italy senior team, as part of the squad announced by new head coach Cesare Prandelli, in a friendly match against the Ivory Coast, Italyu0027s first match after the 2010 World Cup. In that match he started alongside debutant Amauri and striker Antonio Cassano in a 1u20130 loss. On 11 November 2011, Balotelli scored his first senior international goal in a 2u20130 win against Poland at Stadion Miejski in Wrocu0142aw, Poland, also setting up Italyu0027s second goal of the match.Balotelli has been given a reputation by the media for being a difficult character and taking part in questionable and often amusing activities. He was once described by Josu00e9 Mourinho as "unmanageable". In June 2010, Balotelli and a group of friends fired air pistols in the open in Milanu0027s Piazza della Repubblica. Although denying he is "crazy" as his mentor Roberto Mancini frequently claims, Balotelli has admitted he "sometimes does strange things". In 2010, he was photographed in the company of two noted Mafia mobsters. Balotelli gained a cult following after joining Manchester City. Manchester City supporters regularly sang a song with lyrics which made reference to his activities. Musician Tinchy Stryder recorded a song in Balotelliu0027s honour, "Mario Balotelli".

• 2011
  

  Balotelli scored his first goal of the 2011u201312 campaign in a 2u20130 League Cup win against Birmingham City. He followed this up with the opening goal against Everton three days later. On 1 October 2011, he scored his third goal in as many matches in a 4u20130 win away to Blackburn Rovers. Balotelli scored the opening two goals and forced the dismissal of Jonny Evans as City defeated Manchester United 6u20131 at Old Trafford on 23 October in what would prove to be a decisive game in helping win Manchester City the Premier League title. Balotelli made his UEFA Champions League debut for City on 2 November in the second leg against Villarreal. He scored on a penalty shot near the end of the first half, his first Champions League goal for City and his seventh goal overall in the season. On 27 November, Balotelli came on as a 65th-minute substitute against Liverpool and was sent off after receiving two yellow cards. Balotelli scored using his right shoulder in Cityu0027s 5u20131 win over Norwich City on 3 December. He put City 1u20130 up against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after just two minutes on 12 December, although Chelsea rallied to win 2u20131.Video footage before Manchester Cityu0027s UEFA Europa League match with Dynamo Kyiv in March 2011 showed Balotelli requiring assistance to put on a training ground bib, an incident which teammate Edin Du017eeko was seen mimicking the following week in the warm up before Cityu0027s match at Chelsea. In September 2011, Balotelli was reportedly seen using his iPad while on the substitutesu0027 bench for Italy during their match with the Faroe Islands, although he denied this on a visit to a prison later that week.Balotelli celebrated his goal against Manchester United in October 2011 by unveiling a shirt with the words, "Why always me?" on it, a celebration which seemingly disputes the accuracy of newspaper reports. The day before the match, Balotelli and his friends set Balotelliu0027s house on fire when a firework was let off in it; later that week, Balotelli was unveiled as Greater Manchesteru0027s ambassador for firework safety. On 5 November 2011, at the annual fireworks display at Edenbridge, Kent, a 12-metre tall bonfire effigy of Balotelli was unveiled, complete with a Super Mario hat, a house in the right hand and a "Giant TNT" firework in his left, which were reference to his recent incident. In December 2011, Balotelli broke a 48-hour curfew before Manchester Cityu0027s match against Chelsea to go to a curry house, although he "was not drinking alcohol, signed autographs, posed for pictures with fellow diners and was involved in a mock sword-fight using rolling pins". The club launched an internal investigation. In March 2012, when Inter Milan (Balotelliu0027s former club) held a press conference for their new manager Andrea Stramaccioni, Balotelli gatecrashed the event. On 27 June 2012, Balotelli explained why he doesnu0027t celebrate when he scores: "When I score, I donu0027t celebrate because itu0027s my job. When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?" 1 day later he scored a brace against Germany in the Euro semi finals and celebrated by taking off his shirt and flexing his muscles which popularized his quote due to the irony. In December 2012, Balotelli was due to take Manchester City to a Premier League tribunal to protest against a fine of two weeksu0027 wages over his poor disciplinary record, but eventually dropped his application a day before the hearing. On 1 December 2014, Balotelli was accused of racism and antisemitism for posting an image on Instagram of the video game character Mario. The image promoted anti-racism by telling others to be like the character, attributing him qualities stereotypically associated with different ethnicities, ending the idea that he "jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a jew". In response to criticisms, he wrote, "My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please."

• 2012
  

  At first, he stayed with the Balotelli family during the weekdays and returned to his biological parents on weekends. He later was permanently fostered by the Balotellis full-time and adopted their surname. In June 2012, he dedicated his goals that put Italy in the final of the Euro 2012 football championships to his foster mother Silvia. Balotelli had to wait until his 18th birthday to request Italian citizenship, as his foster family had not adopted him. He officially gained citizenship in Concesio on 13 August 2008. After the ceremony he released the following statement:On 22 January 2012, Balotelli came on as a substitute during a match against Tottenham Hotspur. He appeared to stamp on Scott Parker during the match against Tottenham, but, already booked, did not receive a second yellow from referee Howard Webb, who did not see the incident. Balotelli subsequently scored his first goal of 2012, an injury-time penalty which secured a 3u20132 win for City. He was charged for violent conduct for the kick against Scott Parker and was suspended for four matches, three for violent conduct and one for his second sending off. On 25 February, Balotelli scored his tenth league goal of the season in a 3u20130 home win against Blackburn. He scored again the following game in a 2u20130 win against Bolton Wanderers. On 31 March, Balotelli scored twice as City drew 3u20133 at home against Sunderland. However, Balotelli was criticized for his actions in the match after squabbling with Aleksandar Kolarov over a free kick. Roberto Mancini claimed after the match he had considered substituting Balotelli just five minutes into the match. On 8 April 2012, Balotelli received his fourth red card of the season after receiving his second yellow card during the match for a tackle against Bacary Sagna during Cityu0027s 1u20130 loss to Arsenal in April 2012. Balotelli was banned for three matches (one for the two yellow cards and two for the previous two red cards in the same season). After the Arsenal match, Mancini appeared to have finally lost his patience with Balotelli, suggesting Balotelli would not play any part in the remainder of Cityu0027s season and be sold by the club. Despite this, Balotelli did make an appearance as a late substitute in the last match of the season, a title-deciding match against Queens Park Rangers. Balotelli provided the assist to striker Sergio Agu00fcero, who scored in the 94th minute to give City their first league title since 1968.In December 2012, Balotelli decided to fight against Manchester Cityu0027s decision to fine him two weeksu0027 wages for his poor disciplinary record the previous season by taking his club to a Premier League tribunal. Balotelli missed 11 matches domestically and in Europe last season because of suspensions. With less than a day remaining to the start of the hearing, Balotelli dropped his tribunal action and accepted the fine.On 10 June 2012, Balotelli also became the first black player to appear for Italy in a major tournament (UEFA European Championship or FIFA World Cup) in a 1u20131 draw against Spain, Italyu0027s first match of UEFA Euro 2012. Italy and Spain later played each other for the second time in the tournament in Kiev. During the 1u20131 draw, Balotelli failed to make an impact and he was substituted off during the 56th minute after missing multiple chances, including a one-on-one with Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas just minutes before being substituted off. His replacement was Antonio Di Natale, who managed to secure his 11th international goal and put Italy ahead within his time on the pitch. With Balotelli continuing his run of poor form for Italy, fans and critics began calling for Di Natale to replace the "immature and unpredictable striker".Later in the tournament, on 18 June 2012, Mario Balotelli scored his first goal in a major international tournament in a 2u20130 victory against the Republic of Ireland. When he attempted to celebrate this goal, he was immediately halted by teammate Leonardo Bonucci, who covered Balotelliu0027s mouth with his hand for fear that the striker would say something to "get in trouble". Balotelli had been dropped to the bench by Cesare Prandelli prior to the match due to his lack of ability shown in his previous group matches, so when he was substituted on against Ireland, fans did not expect him to have much of an impact and his celebration of his goal may have originally been directed towards the naysayers who believe he is bad for the team. Balotelli went on to start against England in the quarter-finals. His performance was described as "wasteful", but his effort was rated highly in a match where he missed multiple chances. He scored the first penalty taken in the shootout against his Manchester City teammate Joe Hart. On 28 June, Balotelli scored twice within the first 40 minutes in Italyu0027s semi-final clash with Germany, as the Azzurri won 2u20131 and progressed to the Euro 2012 final against European and world champions Spain. After scoring the second goal in that semi-final, he ripped off his shirt and stood motionless as he flexed his muscles, developing a famous celebration. Going into the final, Balotelli said Manchester Cityu0027s title success meant failure in the Euro would not signal a personal failure this season. He also said he was unfazed by the pressure he supposedly had on his shoulders entering the final, with new high expectations of him from his home supporters after his amazing performance against Germany.In 2012, Balotelli featured in GQ, where he was named the second-best dressed man in the world behind British musician Tinie Tempah. Balotelli also appeared on the cover of the November 2012 edition of Time magazine.In July 2012, Balotelliu0027s former girlfriend Raffaella Fico claimed she was pregnant with his child, while Balotelli responded by claiming he would only assume paternal responsibilities upon a positive paternity test. Ficou0027s daughter Pia was born on 5 December 2012. Later in December 2012, Fico accused Balotelli of being "irresponsible" and "not interested" in her newborn daughter. In response, Balotelli threatened to take legal action against Fico to defend his reputation against what he considered false accusations. In February 2014, Balotelli finally acknowledged paternity of his daughter Pia following a positive DNA test.

• 2013
  

  On 29 January 2013, Milanu0027s organising director Umberto Gandini announced the club had agreed to sign Balotelli from Manchester City on a four-and-a-half-year deal rumoured to be worth u20ac20 million plus bonuses and add-ons. Manchester Cityu0027s then manager Roberto Mancini suggested he had sanctioned Balotelliu0027s sale to Milan for the good of the player, describing the forward as "like another one of my children" and saying Balotelli could become one of the best players in the world when restored to Serie A. On 31 January 2013, the Serie A giants completed the signing, and Balotelli was awarded the number 45 shirt, the same number he wore for Inter Milan and Manchester City. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said, "Balotelli in Rossoneri is a dream that has been realized. It is a transfer that everyone wanted: club, president and fans." Balotelli received a warm reception when he returned to Milan. His arrival saw some fans scuffling with police and one policeman was taken to hospital with head injuries. It was said Silvio Berlusconiu0027s signing of Balotelli would help him gain extra votes in the 2013 Italian general election.On 3 February 2013, Balotelli made his debut for Milan and scored two goals, including a last minute penalty, to earn a 2u20131 victory over Udinese. The win lifted Milan to fourth in the table, ahead of Inter Milan on goal difference. In the next two matches, Balotelli scored two goals, including 30 yards (27 m) free-kick against Parma. With that goal, he equaled Oliver Bierhoffu0027s record of four goals in first three matches for Milan. In his fifth appearance, Balotelli appeared as a substitute against Genoa and scored his fifth goal for his new club. In the match against Palermo, Balotelli continued his impressive scoring streak with two more goals, one from a penalty and another from an Mu0027Baye Niang cross. Balotelli then scored four goals in three consecutive matches: one against Catania, one against Torino and two against Pescara. On 12 May 2013, Balotelli was subjected to racist chants by some of the Roma fans, which prompted the match to be suspended for several minutes by referee Gianluca Rocchi, in an eventual 0u20130 away draw.On 22 September 2013, Balotelli missed a penalty in a competitive match for the first time in 22 attempts as a professional; the kick was saved by Pepe Reina as Milan lost 2u20131 to Napoli. During a match against Catania on 1 December, Balotelli accused opponent Nicolu00e1s Spolli of racially abusing him, but there was insufficient evidence for any action to be taken. The following week, Balotelli scored two goals in a 2u20132 draw with Livorno, including a sensational 30-yard direct free kick that was clocked at a speed of 109 km/h.On 21 March 2013, Balotelli scored a long-range equaliser in a friendly match against Brazil at the Stade de Genu00e8ve. Five days later, he scored both goals as Italy defeated Malta in a World Cup qualifier, continuing his prolific scoring streak for both club and country since signing for Milan.On 7 June 2013, Balotelli was sent-off in a 0u20130 draw with the Czech Republic in Prague. On 10 September 2013, Balotelli scored the winning goal in a World Cup qualifying match against the Czech Republic in Turin which allowed Italy to clinch the first place spot in their qualifying group and ultimately achieve their objective of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Balotelli finished the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign as Italyu0027s top scorer with five goals. He was also the top scorer of his qualifying group, helping Italy to win their group undefeated.On 3 June 2013, Balotelli was named in Italyu0027s squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. In Italyu0027s opening match on 16 June, Balotelli scored a late-winner, helping Italy to beat Mexico 2u20131. In Italyu0027s next group match with Japan, Balotelli scored a penalty to make it 3u20132 after being 2u20130 down in the first half. This was also his tenth goal for Italy, making him the second-youngest player after Giuseppe Meazza to achieve this tally. Italy went on to win the match 4u20133, which allowed them to participate in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup for the first time in their history. In Italyu0027s final group match against hosts and eventual champions Brazil, Balotelli set up Emanuele Giaccheriniu0027s equaliser with a back-heel, although Italy eventually lost 4u20132. Prior to the semi-final, Balotelli suffered a thigh injury that prevented him from playing in the remainder of the tournament. Italy finished the tournament in third place after defeating Uruguay in a play-off.Despite his talent, he has been criticized by managers, teammates and the media for a perceived poor and immature attitude at times, as well as his for his poor movement and work-rate, inconsistency, mentality, and volatile temperament and arrogant behaviour on the pitch, which has often led him to pick up unnecessary bookings throughout his career. Balotelli has also been accused of diving, and is thus regarded by teammates and the media as a promising but undisciplined player. Due to his powerful shot, Balotelli is also a set-piece specialist, and is regarded as one of the best penalty kick takers in world football, a view backed by his former Manchester City goalkeeping teammate Joe Hart. Balotelli missed his first competitive penalty against Napoli on 22 September 2013 when it was saved by Pepe Reina, the first time in 22 attempts as a professional. In total, he has scored 38 of 43 penalties taken.Balotelli was romantically involved with Fanny Neguesha in 2013 and 2014, becoming engaged at some point.

• 2014
  

  In August 2014, Balotelli joined Liverpool for a u00a316 million transfer fee to replace the outgoing Luis Suu00e1rez. He made his Liverpool debut in a league game away to Tottenham Hotspur on 31 August, a game Liverpool won 3u20130. Balotelli scored his first Liverpool goal on 16 September, opening a 2u20131 Anfield victory against Ludogorets Razgrad in the group stage of the 2014u201315 UEFA Champions League. In a match in the same competition on 22 October against Real Madrid, Balotelli was criticised by manager Brendan Rodgers for swapping shirts with opponent Pepe at half time, saying, "Itu0027s something that doesnu0027t happen here and shouldnu0027t happen here."On 18 December 2014, Balotelli was suspended for one match and fined u00a325,000 for posting an image on social media which appeared to contain anti-Semitic and racist references.On 1 June 2014, Balotelli was selected in Italyu0027s squad for the 2014 World Cup. In Italyu0027s opening match of the tournament, he scored the teamu0027s winning goal in a 2u20131 victory over England on 14 June. After the match, Balotelli said playing in the World Cup for the first time was "a wonderful sensation to experience" and dedicated the goal to his "future wife" Fanny Neguesha, whom he ultimately did not marry. Italy lost their next two matches and were eliminated in the first round, finishing third in their group. Cesare Prandelli subsequently resigned as Italy manager.Under Italyu0027s new manager Antonio Conte, Balotelli only received one call-up in November 2014 but was unable to make a single appearance for Italy due to injury. After a lacklustre season with Milan, he was omitted from Conteu0027s 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016.

• 2015
  

  Balotelliu0027s first Premier League goal for Liverpool came on his 13th appearance, on 10 February 2015, an 83rd-minute winner in a 3u20132 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, nine minutes after replacing Daniel Sturridge. He scored just 4 goals in 28 appearances and at seasonu0027s end and was adjudged by many to be among the worst signings of the season.On 27 August 2015, Balotelli returned to Milan on season-long loan deal. On 22 September, he scored his first goal after returning to Milan on his third appearance to open the scoring in the fifth minute from a free kick at 25 yards out against Udinese in a 3u20132 away win. However, a week later, he suffered a groin injury in a 1u20130 defeat to Genoa on 27 September, requiring surgery and ruling him out for three months. He returned to action, coming on as a substitute on 17 January 2016 in a 2u20130 home win over Fiorentina, before scoring the lone goal from the penalty spot nine days later during the first semi final leg of the Coppa Italia against Alessandria as he helped Milan reach the final of the tournament. On 1 May, he had his penalty saved in a 3u20133 home draw against Frosinone, for which he was mocked by opponent Mirko Gori. Balotelli finished the season with only 1 goal in 20 league appearances as Milan finished the season in seventh place, once again failing to qualify for Europe following their 1u20130 defeat to Juventus in the 2016 Coppa Italia Final.

• 2016
  

  On 31 August 2016, the deadline day for the summer transfer window, it was announced Balotelli had joined Nice of the French Ligue 1 on a free transfer, signing a one-year deal. In an interview leading up to his Nice debut on 11 September, Balotelli told Canal Plus that joining Liverpool in the summer of 2014 was the "worst mistake of his life" and that Brendan Rodgers and Ju00fcrgen Klopp (the two Liverpool managers during Balotelliu0027s time at the club) did not make a good impression on him and he did not get along with them. He made his debut for Nice, starting in a home Ligue 1 match against Marseille, converting a penalty in the 7th minute and scoring a header from Ricardou0027s cross in the 78th minute as Nice won the match 3u20132. On 21 September, Balotelli, in only his second Ligue 1 appearance, struck another double in the 30th and 68th minutes as Nice thrashed Monaco 4u20130 in the Azurean derby at the Allianz Riviera to go to the top of Ligue 1. No other player had scored four goals in their first two Ligue 1 matches in the last 25 years. On 29 September, Balotelli scored his fifth goal in just four competitive matches for Nice when he fired home a right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area in the 43rd minute after an assist from Malang Sarr in a 2016u201317 UEFA Europa League Group I match against Krasnodar in an eventual 5u20132 away defeat. That was his first goal in a UEFA club competition since February 2015, when he scored for Liverpool against Beu015fiktau015f in the round of 32 of the 2014u201315 UEFA Europa League knockout phase. On 2 October, Balotelli scored the winning goal in the 86th minute by sending a powerful kick from the edge of the box into the top right corner as Nice defeated Lorient 2u20131 in a home Ligue 1 match, during which he received a yellow card for taking off his shirt in celebration of his goal and was subsequently sent off minutes later in stoppage time after receiving a second, controversial yellow card following an altercation with Lorientu0027s Steven Moreira, where neither player appeared to do anything wrong. Balotelliu0027s red card was rescinded four days later after referee Olivier Thualu0027s admission he had made a mistake in showing Balotelli the second yellow card and the French Football Leagueu0027s Disciplinary Commission decided to annul his second yellow card, thus allowing him to be available for the following league match. On 21 December, he received his first official red card in a Nice shirt in a 0u20130 Ligue 1 away draw with Bordeaux for kicking Igor Lewczuk.

• 2017
  

  On 20 January 2017, after the 1u20131 Ligue 1 away draw against Bastia, Balotelli claimed on Instagram he was a victim of racist abuse when fans of the Corsican club allegedly made monkey noises directed at him during the match and just prior to the start of the match. On the following day, Alassane Plu00e9a (Balotelliu0027s Nice teammate) confirmed he had heard the monkey noises directed at Balotelli. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced an investigation into Balotelliu0027s allegations. On 18 February 2017, Balotelli was sent off once again, in his 14th Ligue 1 appearance, a 1u20130 win at Lorient; he received a straight red card in the second half for insulting referee Tony Chapron in English. He was given a two-match ban (the second match was a suspended ban that would be triggered in the event of any further misconduct by Balotelli) by the Ligue 1u0027s disciplinary committee on 23 February. On the same day, the Ligue 1u0027s disciplinary committee ordered Bastia to close part of their stadium for three matches and imposed a suspended one-point deduction on them for "the behaviour of the supporters of SC Bastia u2013 shouts with racist connotations towards Balotelli, use of pyrotechnic devices and intrusion of supporters at the edge of the field". On 10 March 2017, Balotelli reached ten Ligue 1 goals for the season, scoring in a 2u20132 draw with Caen.On 25 June 2017, Balotelli signed a one-year contract extension with Nice. On 26 July, he played his first match of the season in Niceu0027s UEFA Champions League qualifying round first leg, in which he scored in their 1u20131 draw against Ajax.On 28 September 2017, Balotelli fathered a second child, a son named Lion, born to an unidentified woman.

• 2018
  

  On 20 August 2018, Balotelli re-signed with Nice on a third consecutive one-year contract after a move to rivals Marseille fell through earlier in the summer.After Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Balotelli was expected to be called up by caretaker manager Luigi Di Biagio for Italyu0027s March 2018 friendlies, after the replacement of Gian Piero Ventura. However, Balotelli was officially omitted from the squad on 17 March 2018.On 19 May 2018, Balotelli was called up for the first time since November 2014 by newly appointed manager Roberto Mancini for Italyu0027s May and June 2018 friendlies. On 28 May, Balotelli made his first appearance for the national team since the 2014 World Cup, starting in the match against Saudi Arabia and scoring the opener in the 20th minute. He was later substituted in the 58th minute for Andrea Belotti, who scored the second goal of the match in an eventual 2u20131 victory. Balotelli dedicated his goal to former Italy teammate Davide Astori, who died earlier in the year.

• 2019
  

  On 23 January 2019, Balotelli terminated his contract with Nice and signed a contract until the end of the season with Marseille. On 25 January, he made his debut for the club coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute home to Lille, later also scoring his first goal in the last minute of stoppage time of an ultimate 2u20131 loss. He scored his fourth league goal on 3 March, an acrobatic volley in a 2u20130 home win against Saint-u00c9tienne; he later celebrated the goal by creating an Instagram story on the pitch from his cell phone. On 30 March, he became the first player since Josip Skoblar in the late 1960s to score in each of his first five home games for Marseille in Ligue 1.On 18 August 2019, Balotelli signed a "multi-year contract" with his hometown club Brescia on a free transfer. He signed for a base salary of u20ac1.5 million before bonuses for one year, with an automatic renewal if the club avoids relegation.On 24 September 2019, Balotelli made his debut for the club in a 2u20131 home league defeat against Juventus; he was unable to play prior to this owing to the four-match suspension he received while at Marseille for a rash challenge against Montpellier. On 29 September, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2u20131 away loss to Napoli. On 3 November 2019, Balotelli was subjected to racist chants by some of the Hellas Verona fans, prompting him to pick up the ball in the 54th minute and kick it into the crowd. He started to walk off as the match was suspended for several minutes, but was persuaded by players of both sides to stay on the pitch; he later scored in the 85th minute of a 2u20131 away loss.

• 2020
  

  Balotelli scored Bresciau0027s lone goal in a 1u20132 defeat against Lazio on 5 January 2020. During the match, he was once again the subject of racist taunts from the opponentu0027s fan base and afterwards Balotelli took to social media to condemn the attacks. The Serie A found Lazio supporters guilty of racial abuse but only fined the club u20ac20,000 and they avoided more serious punishment by not having a stadium ban imposed on them.In November 2020, Balotelli trained with Serie D side Franciacorta while being a free agent.