Mario Balotelli has revealed joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in spite of his prior affiliation with their arch-rivals, Olympique Marseille, during his nomadic career.
Ten years ago, the Italian striker appeared destined for football stardom, but his trajectory took a different turn, resulting in stints with over 10 clubs across three of Europe’s premier leagues.
At 33 years old, he recently re-signed with Turkish team Adana Demirspor after a less-than-ideal period with Swiss club FC Sion.
According to Football Italia, in his second debut for Adana on October 1, Super Mario netted two goals in their 4-0 triumph in the Turkish Super Lig.
Considering PSG’s challenges in scoring this season, even with skilled forwards like Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani, Goncalo Ramos, and Ousmane Dembele in their ranks, Balotelli was asked about his openness to a potential PSG offer if they were to express interest.
His reply reflected a recognition of the significance of the Marseille-PSG rivalry, a rivalry he briefly encountered during his tenure with the blue-and-white side of the Le Classique clash.
“What if PSG calls me? No chance. No way — as I used to play for Marseille and Nice so… no way,” he told TvPlay, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on the X App.
Despite his loyalty to Marseille, Balotelli said he would be willing to play for PSG if they offered him a large enough contract.
“What if they come with €10m salary proposal?” “Of course. In that case, I’d accept… for €10m I’d even join my brother’s team and go play there!”