LORIENT 0 - NICE 1
Balotelli throws the ball again: direct red for insulting the referee
The referee did not decree in a struggle of Balotelli with a rival and this provoked the wrath of the Italian striker who began to scold him. The referee did not hesitate to expel him.
Big baby Balotelli heading for scrapheap as he blows his chance at Nice
Mario Balotelli is hurtling headlong into becoming the greatest waste of talent in his generation. At just 26, the Italy international has systematically burnt bridge after bridge during a career that has never truly taken off.
'Shut up, dickhead!' Allegri rants
The forward was blessed with seemingly limitless potential, but amid fireworks being let off in his own bathroom, darts being thrown at youth team players and persistent on-field problems, he appears dead-set upon imploding.
Last August’s move to Nice seemed to be his last chance. Indeed, it seemed like the perfect move for the striker, who could enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle than in the fishbowl of Liverpool, just a short journey away from his native Italy.
Initially, the transfer paid off, with Balotelli scoring regularly and Nice flying high at the top of the Ligue 1 standings. Now the forward is floundering – and it is a damning indictment of what he has brought to them lately that Lucien Favre’s young side have progressed almost unchecked. They are heading towards the Champions League in spite of their 'star' man, not because of him.
The attacker’s propensity for self-destruction was an expressed concern of Liverpool, who according to Football Leaks offered the player a huge bonus if he was not sent off three times in a single season. Many players go through whole careers with better disciplinary records than that, but Balotelli’s ability to tantrum knows no bounds. He has not been in France six months, yet he has already seen red three times.
Ancelotti gives fan the finger
On Saturday he was dismissed in unusual circumstances against bottom side Lorient. After clashing for a high ball with Zargo Toure, he seemed to exchange words with referee Tony Chapron, who promptly dismissed him. It was a mindless act but one that is all-too-symbolic of the player's career.
Balotelli fa di lei un bugiardo: rosso diretto per arbitro insulto
L'arbitro ha stabilito nessun fallo Balotelli in una rissa con un rivale e questo fatto arrabbiare l'attaccante italiano che si mise a rimproverarlo. L'arbitro non ha esitato a espellerlo.
