Struggling Serie A club Brescia have sacked Mario Balotelli after the striker failed to report for training.
According to reports in Italy on Saturday morning Brescia owner Massimo Cellino sent Balotelli a letter requesting the termination of his three-year contract at the club.
Balotelli’s sacking comes after he missed 10 days of training in January and a non-mandatory session on May 26.
He then missed another session last week without permission, prompting Cellino to take action after a meeting with the former Manchester City and Liverpool player on May 29 to clear the air failed to materialise.
Balotelli, 29, is contracted to the Serie A side until 2022 but there is a break clause at the end of the season if Brescia are relegated.
They are currently bottom of the table ahead of the season resumption later this month.
But, according to Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Messaggero, his contract will be ended immediately.
Gazzetta report that no legal action is necessary as the termination was negotiated with Balotelli’s lawyers. Newspaper Repubblica report Cellino and Balotelli have reached a financial settlement.
Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, Turkish side Galatasaray and the MLS could be potential destinations for Balotelli.
Balotelli who earns £877,000-a-year at Brescia responded to the accusations he was missing training by saying: “I’m not training? I didn’t know I was a ghost,” and insisted he regularly participated.
But his relationship with Cellino is beyond repair with the owner admitting his regret at bringing Balotelli back to his hometown club last summer.
“I think we both made a mistake,’ Cellino told the BBC’s World Football programme.
“I thought that coming to Brescia, which is his town, would commit him very much.
“At the same time, I think he was handled the wrong way by my previous coach [Eugenio Corini].
“He doesn’t show up to training, he doesn’t look very committed let’s say, for the future of the club. That’s the problem.
“Balotelli’s got a contract in Serie A, but he doesn’t have a contract in Serie B. So if we’re relegated, Balotelli won’t have a contract any more.
“Balotelli apparently doesn’t like to stay in Italy anymore because he’s not acting that way.”
The striker’s return home has been less than successful. He scored just five times in 19 Serie A matches, leaving Brescia bottom of the table, nine points from safety with 12 games to play.
2 Comments
Classic case of how to waste a talent. #shame
I am waiting for what becomes of him after football. And we will now be hearing things like, I regret this and that…. I will be the first to stone him.