MARIO BALOTELLI has joined his 12th club after agreeing to join Al-Ittifaq in Dubai.
Not to be confused with the Al-Ettifaq that Steven Gerrard managed, the UAE based club was only founded in 2020.
They currently play in the first division, one below the UAE Pro League, the top flight. There are four tiers to football in UAE.
Gianluca Di Mazio reports the striker has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club .
The Italian will join his new teammates this Friday (January 9), with the agreement coming into effect on January 12.
Balotelli spent last season with Genoa in Serie A, but failed to score in any of his six appearances.
Now 35-years-old, the former Man City star has never spent more than three seasons at one club in his 20-year career.
He managed three years with Inter Milan, Man City and Nice. He also managed three over two spells with AC Milan.
Balotelli has spent the last six months clubless after his contract with Genoa expired.
The 36-time Italian international recently spent time with his family at the Kandima resort in the Maldives.
He was spotted coaching kids on the resort’s full size football pitch with a big smile on his face.
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He also played in a game with the staff and guests and took time to sign autographs.
Kandima has become synonymous with famous footballers gracing their island as names like Joe Gomez and Ederson are among the current Premier League stars to visit, and Balotelli was just as impressed.
He said: “The island is stunning, the villas are spacious and modern, and waking up in paradise to the ocean every day was exactly why I came. I spent time at the sports facilities daily, from training in the gym to enjoying football, tennis, and beach activities – all perfect for an athlete to stay in top condition during the off-season.”
Balotelli has had a wild career on and off the pitch, with his antics away from the game seemingly just as infamous as his temperament on the pitch.
During his time at Manchester City, he played a pivotal role in the Sergio Aguero goal that stole the Premier League title away from neighbours Man United in the finals seconds of the season.
He also had police called to his house after he was setting off fireworks inside.
His last spell in England came with a £16 million move to Liverpool back in 2014, supposedly to replace the departing Luis Suarez.
That move did not work out as the Italian could only score one goal in 16 league games.
He was then loaned to AC Milan before being sold permanently to Nice.
The full list of clubs on Balotelli’s long CV include: Lumezzane, Inter Milan, Man City, AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Adana Demirspor, Sion, Genoa and now, Al-Ittifaq.
