Former Premier League winner Mario Balotelli, 34, set to complete free transfer to 13th club after release by Genoa
MARIO BALOTELLI is poised to plunge his career to new depths - by playing for a THIRD DIVISION club in Spain.
The former Manchester City and Liverpool striker has won a Premier League title and 36 caps for Italy.
2
2
But Balotelli has endured a chequered career since leaving Anfield a decade ago, including spells with clubs in Turkey and Switzerland.
The 34-year-old joined Italians Genoa last October, but will be released after making just six appearances.
His agents have now opened talks with Real Murcia, who will remain in the Spanish third tier next season after losing in their promotion playoffs.
Murcia president Felipe Moreno met Balotelli's advisors in Madrid recently, and went on to discuss the striker's signature with sporting director Asier Goiria.
Moreno reportedly plans a fresh round of talks about a deal for Balotelli, who will be 35 next month.
Murcia have spent 18 seasons in La Liga, most recently in the 2007-08 campaign, and have won a record eight second-tier titles.
They play at the 31,000-capacity Estadio Nueva Condomina, and will be favourites for promotion next term.
The south-eastern club finished second in the Primera Federacion Group 2, but lost in the play-off semis to Gimnastic de Tarragona.
Balotelli's madcap off-field antics have distracted from his undoubted playing ability throughout his career.
But if the frontman lands a deal and applies himself, he could yet help Murcia show no mercy to their opponents in the new season.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Erling Haaland hits 300th career goal as Man City make statement in Juventus thrashing
Erling Haaland scored his 300th career goal as Manchester City thrashed Juventus 5-2 to finish top of Group G at the Club World Cup. Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Savinho – with a long-range stunner – were also on target as City produced an outstanding display despite both sweltering heat and a torrential downpour in Orlando on Thursday. City were pegged back after Doku's early opener when Ederson gifted a goal to Teun Koopmeiners but their lead was restored when Pierre Kalulu turned into his own net at the Camping World Stadium. Haaland, reaching a notable landmark in senior football for club and country, came off the bench to bundle in the third and Foden and Savinho made victory certain before Dusan Vlahovic's consolation. The result means City progress with a 100 per cent record from their three group games and should, in theory at least, have a more straightforward route through the knockout stages. Juve beat City 2-0 when the sides met in the Champions League in December but this was a far different side than the one that won just once in 13 games in a dismal run late last year. It was also a notable shift in gear from City after opening the competition with two straightforward wins against Wydad Casablanca and Al Ain. With Ballon d'Or winner Rodri making his first start since September, City were fluid and energetic. They made a fast start and Bernardo Silva had a header saved by the feet of Michele Di Gregorio before they took the lead in the ninth minute through Doku. Summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri slipped him in with a fine throughball and the Belgian tucked home after cutting inside Kalulu. Juve responded immediately and City failed to make the most of a reprieve after Vlahovic scuffed an effort wide. Ederson carelessly gave the ball away from the resulting goalkick and Koopmeiners rifled a shot past the Brazilian. City dealt well with the setback and Tijjani Reijnders, Rodri and Omar Marmoush all had attempts blocked. The pressure paid off in the 26th minute although they benefited from a huge stroke of luck as Kalulu diverted Matheus Nunes' ball past Di Gregorio. The ferocious sunshine gave way to heavy rain just before the break but City were not deterred as Savinho shot at Di Gregorio before the keeper pushed away further strikes from Ait-Nouri and Marmoush. Marmoush was replaced by Haaland at the interval and the Norwegian soon made an impact. Reijnders played in Nunes, who rolled a pass perfectly into the path of Haaland in front of goal. His connection was hardly the cleanest but such was his positioning he could hardly miss. Ederson denied Vlahovic as Juve sought a way back but Haaland created the opening for the fourth when his pass was picked up by Savinho and powered in by Foden from close range. Savinho added another in style when he thundered in a shot off the underside of the bar from distance after 75 minutes. Juve were well beaten but Vlahovic battled on and pulled one back six minutes from time after good work by Kenan Yildiz.
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Erling Haaland hits 300th career goal as Man City cruise past Juventus
Erling Haaland scored his 300th career goal as Manchester City thrashed Juventus 5-2 to finish top of Group G at the Club World Cup. Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Savinho – with a long-range stunner – were also on target as City produced an outstanding display despite both sweltering heat and a torrential downpour in Orlando on Thursday. City were pegged back after Doku's early opener when Ederson gifted a goal to Teun Koopmeiners but their lead was restored when Pierre Kalulu turned into his own net at the Camping World Stadium. Haaland, reaching a notable landmark in senior football for club and country, came off the bench to bundle in the third and Foden and Savinho made victory certain before Dusan Vlahovic's consolation. The result means City progress with a 100 per cent record from their three group games and should, in theory at least, have a more straightforward route through the knockout stages. Juve beat City 2-0 when the sides met in the Champions League in December but this was a far different side than the one that won just once in 13 games in a dismal run late last year. It was also a notable shift in gear from City after opening the competition with two straightforward wins against Wydad Casablanca and Al Ain. With Ballon d'Or winner Rodri making his first start since September, City were fluid and energetic. They made a fast start and Bernardo Silva had a header saved by the feet of Michele Di Gregorio before they took the lead in the ninth minute through Doku. Summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri slipped him in with a fine throughball and the Belgian tucked home after cutting inside Kalulu. Juve responded immediately and City failed to make the most of a reprieve after Vlahovic scuffed an effort wide. Ederson carelessly gave the ball away from the resulting goalkick and Koopmeiners rifled a shot past the Brazilian. City dealt well with the setback and Tijjani Reijnders, Rodri and Omar Marmoush all had attempts blocked. The pressure paid off in the 26th minute although they benefited from a huge stroke of luck as Kalulu diverted Matheus Nunes' ball past Di Gregorio. The ferocious sunshine gave way to heavy rain just before the break but City were not deterred as Savinho shot at Di Gregorio before the keeper pushed away further strikes from Ait-Nouri and Marmoush. Marmoush was replaced by Haaland at the interval and the Norwegian soon made an impact. Reijnders played in Nunes, who rolled a pass perfectly into the path of Haaland in front of goal. His connection was hardly the cleanest but such was his positioning he could hardly miss. Ederson denied Vlahovic as Juve sought a way back but Haaland created the opening for the fourth when his pass was picked up by Savinho and powered in by Foden from close range. Savinho added another in style when he thundered in a shot off the underside of the bar from distance after 75 minutes. Juve were well beaten but Vlahovic battled on and pulled one back six minutes from time after good work by Kenan Yildiz.
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Erling Haaland hits 300th goal in Manchester City rout of Juventus at Club World Cup
Erling Haaland's 300th career strike graced this canter of a victory, while Savinho's 75th-minute peach lit up a Manchester City display that will be noted by the other big guns aiming to claim the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup. The Brazilian's 20-yard shot pinballed off the bar to make it 5-1 and confirm that Juventus would lose and finish second. So while Pep Guardiola's men remain in search of their smoothest rhythms, topping Group G is a fine feat and whoever they face here on Monday will not relish their task. City were awaiting the later conclusion of Real Madrid's group to discover their last-16 opponents, who will kickoff against them at the cooler time of 9pm on Monday. For the attempt to beat Juve and register a perfect three wins from three games, Rodri was handed a first start since last September's draw with Arsenal in which he suffered the ACL injury that ruled him out until the season's closing minutes. Missing from the XI of those with a case to be included were Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and (perhaps) Rayan Cherki. Then you saw the temperature gauge showing 31C and remembered their manager's words about the stinging heat affecting his selection. City, who finished third in the Premier League, 13 points behind Liverpool, took on Juve, whose fourth place 12 points behind the champions, Napoli, was a similar margin. Until combat was joined who might be ascendant seemed uncertain. It proved to be City in the opening half. In a combination that became familiar, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Aït-Nouri danced along the left, the latter crossed, and Bernardo Silva, twice, failed to beat Michele Di Gregorio. Here was a dry run for City's opener. Rodri, strolling about knitting play, tapped to Aït-Nouri who slipped in Doku along the same channel: a sidestep created time and the cleanly struck finish gave Di Gregorio no chance. But City's advantage was cancelled out immediately by a careless Ederson, whose simple pass to a colleague found, instead, Teun Koopmeiners who pounced and beat City's No 1, whose cheeks went as pink as his strip. It was as clownish as Pierre Kalulu's contribution when City regained the lead. A lightning Matheus Nunes run was located by Savinho. The right-back zipped the ball in. And Kalulu with no opponent near, panicked and turned the ball in. An own goal, sure, but one forced by a sharper City edge than previously witnessed in the tournament. Their 60-65% possession count was potent: Aït-Nouri , Doku, Nunes and Omar Marmoush, at centre-forward, swapped zones across City's front to cause havoc, the latter's pirouette-then-shot an illustration. Tijjani Reijnders, from deep, joined in too, serving a slicing ball to Savinho who cut inside but dribbled tamely at Di Gregorio. Then, a serious downpour to cool all. The broiled crowd appreciated it as much as the footballers though the concern in Orange County can be dangerous electrical storms that halt games. But the rain abated, and Marmoush's fierce shot, tipped around a post by Di Gregorio, closed the half. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Now, Haaland entered – for Marmoush – and a better-timed stab at Savinho's cross would have made it 3-1 seconds into the second half. The miss spoke of a player who had scored only once from open play in 10 previous City appearances. But the statistic became two in 11 soon enough, and completed the Norwegian's landmark third century. Nunes, again, was provider, his sprint along the right this time spotted by Reijnders. The Portuguese rolled to Haaland who miskicked yet City's third bobbled in, with Di Gregorio stranded. The 24-year-old's second of the competition had his team cruising. Juve had faded as any kind of force. The contest continued to take part in their half. On 65 minutes Rodri was taken off – his coming through unscathed a certifiable bonus – and on came Ilkay Gündogan, plus Foden for the effervescent Doku. Guardiola's move became seer-like as City's fourth was scored by Foden. Haaland galloped through an inside-right zone, passed, Savinho pinged to the No 47, who, near-in, collected his second of this Club World Cup calmly. Vlahovic's late finish will have annoyed Guardiola – but not for long.
