Balotelli turned away from Brescia training ground

Posted June 09, 2020 7:00 am

The Associated Press

BRESCIA, Italy (AP) - Days after reportedly being fired by Brescia, Mario Balotelli was turned away by the club when he arrived for training on Tuesday.

Balotelli walked up to the gate of Brescia's training ground and, following a brief conversation with a club employee, he turned around.

As he walked away he said to media, 'œNow say that I don't want to train.'ť

Balotelli was reportedly fired by his hometown club last weekend for failing to report to training as the Italian soccer league prepares to resume three months after being stopped by the coronavirus. The former Italy striker said he had stomach problems.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport said Balotelli sent another doctor's note on Monday night to the club saying he had recovered, but that it didn't arrive in time to send to the relevant authority and so he wouldn't have been insured if he had injured himself in training.

Balotelli signed last August with Brescia - the city where he grew up with his adoptive family - in an emotional homecoming for a player who has jumped back and forth between the Italian, English and French leagues.

He scored five goals in 19 Serie A matches.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020 filer, Udinese's Rodrigo De Paul, right, and Brescia's Mario Balotelli vie for the ball, during a Italian Serie A soccer match at the Mario Rigamonti stadium in Brescia, Italy. Former Italy striker Mario Balotelli was reportedly fired by his hometown club for failing to report for training as the Italian soccer season prepares to resume from a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Gianluca Checchi/LaPresse via AP, File ) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.