Former Manchester City and Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has returned to Italy to join home town club Brescia.
Balotelli, who was released by French side Marseille in June, has signed a three-year deal with the newly-promoted Serie A side.
The 29-year-old reportedly rejected a move to Brazilian club Flamengo because he is keen to reclaim a spot in the Italy squad ahead of Euro 2020.
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He has made 36 appearances for Italy but has not featured since September.
Brescia, who were crowned Serie B champions last season, are playing in the Italian top flight for the first time since 2011.
Balotelli’s last appearance in Serie A came in 2016 when he spent a season-long loan at AC Milan while under contract with Liverpool.
That was his second spell at AC Milan – after 2013-14 – and he was part of the Inter Milan side that won the league, Italian Cup and Champions League treble under manager Jose Mourinho in 2010.
Balotelli has won three Serie A titles, as well as the Premier League with Manchester City in 2012.
He will be officially presented as a Brescia player at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti on Monday afternoon, a club statement revealed.
Mario Balotelli Barwuah (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmaːrjo baloˈtɛlli]; born Mario Barwuah; 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Brescia and the Italy national team.
He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at Barcelona,[5] and subsequently joining Inter Milan in 2007. Inter manager Roberto Mancinibrought Balotelli into the first team, but when Mancini left, Balotelli’s disciplinary record fell away. He had a strained relationship with new manager José Mourinho and was suspended from Inter’s first team in January 2009 after a number of disciplinary problems.
With doubts over his career at Inter, former coach Roberto Mancini had since moved to Manchester City and decided to give Balotelli a fresh chance at a new club. He joined Manchester City in August 2010, where his performances and off-field activities continued to be enigmatic and unpredictable. Balotelli eventually fell out of favour with Mancini after a “training ground bust up” between the two in January 2013.[6] His departure from City and return to Italy with A.C. Milan followed several weeks later.[7] After 18 months at A.C. Milan, he returned to the Premier League with Liverpool. An unsuccessful season with the Merseyside club led to his return to A.C. Milan on loan and subsequent departure on a free transfer to Nice.
Balotelli earned his first cap for Italy in a friendly match against the Ivory Coast on 10 August 2010. He amassed over 30 caps and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2012, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup; he helped the national side reach the final of Euro 2012, and also won a bronze medal at the Confederations Cup. Along with Antonio Cassano, he is Italy’s top-scorer in the UEFA European Championship with three goals.[8] He is also Italy’s top scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup, alongside Giuseppe Rossi and Daniele De Rossi, with two goals.[9]
