When one door closes, another opens, especially if you’re Mario Balotelli.
The Italian striker didn’t waste a second reacting to Patrick Vieira’s resignation as Genoa head coach, and his response was pure SuperMario.
Vieira stepped down after Genoa’s nightmare Serie A start: just three points in nine games, their worst-ever top-flight run.
The Frenchman was supposed to face Sassuolo in what could have been his last stand, but he chose to walk away instead amid reported boardroom tension.
Balotelli, who barely featured under Vieira, with six appearances all season, seemed overjoyed.
“Karma is a b**. God sees and provides,**” he wrote on Instagram shortly after the news broke.
Then came a longer follow-up, tagging club president Alberto Zangrillo, former
coach Alberto Gilardino, and Vieira himself.
“Ooooola! Now Genoa can finally focus on people who truly love the environment, the fans, and the emblem and who deeply believe in the idea and the fact that Genoa deserves to be at the top!
“The great work experienced firsthand by Gilardino and Zangrillo has not been lost: it was only exploited selfishly and poorly by those who came later, taking advantage of what they had built with effort, respect, and passion.
“They exploited the immense work of Gilardino and Zangrillo, their commitment and dedication to these colors without truly understanding its value. Now focus on GENOA and the GENOANI. Go Genoa! GO GUYS! I believed in you and I still do.”
The feud between the two isn’t new. Their relationship first soured during their time at Nice, where Vieira publicly criticized Balotelli’s attitude and commitment.
“His mentality does not suit a team sport like football,” Vieira told Daily Mail. “It was really complicated for me to work with a player like him. The situation had become unmanageable.”
Despite a brief truce when both reunited at Genoa, old tensions quickly resurfaced. Balotelli rarely played, and by summer, he was out of the club.
