After penning a contract with FC Sion, former Italian forward Mario Balotelli made his debut in the Swiss Super League on Saturday. The two-year deal is worth €2.6 million. Balotelli's arrival on the field at Tourbillon Stadium in Switzerland was the match highlight. Roars from the home crowd welcomed the Ghanian Italian. Balotelli came on […]

When Mario Balotelli was granted a free transfer to French club Nice in the summer, most people were not expecting much from the former Liverpool misfit. After all, the Italian striker departed Merseyside after netting just four goals in 28 total appearances. He spent two years as a Red, but managed only one full season […]

Paris (AFP) – Mario Balotelli scored a penalty as Nice recovered from a goal down to defeat Bordeaux 2-1 on Sunday and close the gap on Ligue 1 leaders Monaco to four points.  Gaetan Laborde struck with just nine minutes gone to give Bordeaux the lead in Nice, but Balotelli quickly levelled from the spot […]

Paris (AFP) – Mario Balotelli endured a frustrating afternoon as Nice dropped two vital points in the French title race with a 1-1 draw at mid-table Nantes on Saturday. Nice had plenty of the ball but Balotelli was well shackled by the home defence — not always fairly — and the maverick Italian striker won […]

Paris (AFP) – French Ligue 1 side Bastia were punished Thursday over racist abuse directed at Nice striker Mario Balotelli in a game last month. The French league's disciplinary commission docked Bastia one point – suspended – and ordered the club to close its East Stand for the next three home games over the monkey […]

Milan (AFP) – Controversial striker Mario Balotelli has shown few signs of wanting to fight his way back into the national side, Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura warned on Wednesday. Balotelli last played for Italy at their ill-fated 2014 World Cup campaign, but his international and club career have been in a tailspin since then. […]

Paris (AFP) – Mario Balotelli was sent off on his return to the Nice team but Lucien Favre's side held on for a 1-0 win at Lorient on Saturday which sees them close the gap on Ligue 1 leaders Monaco. Wylan Cyprien scored the only goal of the game in Brittany, collecting Arnaud Souquet's pass […]

Nice (France) (AFP) – Italian striker Mario Balotelli was labelled as moody, individual and difficult to talk to by Nice teammate Valentin Eysseric on Friday. The 24-year-old was also careful to balance his words by adding that Balotelli was clearly "The best (footballer at Nice), the fastest and most skillful". But Balotelli critics at some […]

Bastia (France) (AFP) – "Several" Bastia fans racially abused Nice forward Mario Balotelli with monkey chants while one admitted it and faces a France-wide stadium ban, the Corsican club said on Wednesday. The Italian said he suffered racist abuse throughout Friday's 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at Bastia, where the coach of title-chasers Nice was also […]

Nice (France) (AFP) – Angry Nice striker Mario Balotelli accused Bastia fans of racially abusing him and screaming monkey chants throughout Friday's 1-1 Ligue 1 draw in Corsica. "Yesterday the result against Bastia was right... We will do more work to try to get our objective. The referee was good too," Balotelli wrote on his […]

Paris (AFP) – Mario Balotelli was handed a two-match ban Thursday after being sent off for an off-the-ball incident in last month's 0-0 draw at Bordeaux, his club Nice said. The Italian striker and team-mate Younes Belhanda — who was given a one-match ban — were dismissed in the dying seconds as Bordeaux frustrated the […]