Former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli spent just one season with the Reds and was not a fan of Jurgen Klopp, despite only briefly working with the iconic manager
Comments
Sport
Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp did not make a good impression on one former Liverpool striker
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Mario Balotelli previously described his time at Liverpool as one of the most difficult periods in his career. He was with the Reds for a single season under Brendan Rodgers and found little to admire about Jurgen Klopp upon his return.
Balotelli's career had not always gone smoothly before signing for Liverpool. As a teenager, he had previously clashed with Inter Milan team-mate Marco Materazzi during their treble-winning campaign, with the former Everton defender admitting to giving Balotelli a tough time in training.
The Italian forward was brought in by the Reds for £16million to fill the void left by Luis Suarez in 2014 but failed to live up to expectations, scoring a solitary league goal before moving to AC Milan on loan. When he returned to Merseyside, Balotelli met new manager Jurgen Klopp, yet the German coach didn't leave a positive impression on him.
"I joined Liverpool. It was the worst mistake of my life," Balotelli told Canal Plus after scoring twice on his Nice debut in 2016. "Apart from the fans, who were fantastic with me, I must be honest, and the players, who I had a good rapport with, I didn't like the club.
"I had two coaches, Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp. As people they didn't make a good impression on me. I didn't get along with them."
Expanding on his lack of communication with Klopp, Balotelli revealed that they only spoke once before he joined the French club. "Klopp doesn't know me, I spoke to him once, he told me to go somewhere else, work hard and then return," Balotelli told Sky Italia. "So I said goodbye to them, and that we wouldn't be seeing each other again."
Article continues below
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli scored four goals in 28 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Balotelli had developed a reputation as a complicated personality during his formative years at Inter Milan. As a teenager, he managed to irk experienced defender Materazzi during Inter's trophy-laden campaign in 2010.
Under Jose Mourinho's guidance, Balotelli netted 11 times in all competitions as Inter won the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia. However, the striker sparked controversy by throwing his shirt to the ground following the team's first-leg semi-final win over Barcelona in the Champions League. Seeking to teach Balotelli a lesson, Materazzi deliberately faced off against him in training.
"I gave him a good beating, it's true", Materazzi recounted on Instagram, as reported by the Daily Mail. "I love Mario, but he really deserved it that day.
"We've become friends again now, practically brothers, but he did something that day that he really should not have done. Throwing his shirt to the ground after the final whistle wasn't even the worst of it.
"Before the game, on the team bus, he told us, 'Today I'm going to play badly,' so I promised to make him pay if he did. When he came off the bench, he tried a shot from midfield rather than going on the counter. Diego Milito wanted to kill him.
Mario Balotelli and Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi spoke about his time as Mario Balotelli's team-mate
(Image: LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)
"We believed in Mario, he scored many goals and contributed to the victory, but a week after that, I asked Mourinho to put me against Balotelli in the training ground games between ranks. After a few seconds, I'd sent him back to the dressing room."
After his time at Inter, Balotelli moved to Manchester City later that summer, where he teamed up again with former coach Roberto Mancini. He had an important role in City's dramatic Premier League title win on the last day of the 2011/12 season.
Article continues below
Earlier that season, he had showcased his famous 'Why always me?' t-shirt when he scored the first goal in City's 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United, a nod to his knack for staying in the limelight both on and off the field.
Following his exit from Liverpool in 2016, Balotelli has played across France, Italy, Turkey, and Switzerland. The 34-year-old spent this season with Genoa but injuries restricted him to just six league outings.