01 December 2023 , 08:14
1049
0
Mario Balotelli has claimed Brendan Rodgers "was a disaster" as a person in a brutal dig at his former Liverpool boss.
The pair worked together for one year as the Northern Irishman took a punt on the ex-Manchester City star. Liverpool were looking for a new forward after Luis Suarez's exit and opted to bring the maverick Italian back to the Premier League in 2014.
It was an unspectacular return for Balotelli, who massively underwhelmed during his Anfield spell. He scored just four times - once in the league - as Liverpool struggled and pressure mounted on Rodgers. The Italian joined AC Milan on loan the following summer and was offloaded after Jurgen Klopp's arrival
Balotelli has admitted he was impressed with the training regime under Rodgers, whose philosophy has been lauded throughout his career, but the same could not be said for their personal relationship.
Speaking to TVPlay, Balotelli said: "Brendan Rodgers is the worst coach I have ever had. He was number one as far as training sessions were concerned, what with keeping possession of the ball and the small-sided games. But as a person he was a disaster."
Klopp's dream Liverpool line up as last-gasp January transfers rejected
It isn't the first time Balotelli has gone for Rodgers, who has enjoyed success at Celtic and Leicester City since being sacked by Liverpool. The Northern Irishman, rather than defend himself, has in fact agreed with the Italian in the past, insisting their lack of personal relationship meant the move didn't work for either party.
Mario Balotelli and Brendan Rodgers struggled to strike up a relationship at Liverpool (Getty)"He was probably absolutely spot on," he told talkSPORT several years ago. "I just couldn’t really connect with Mario. He was one that came in very late in the window. It was a gamble taken from a club perspective. It was one where, he’s a big talent, he’ll come in and develop, he’s got all the tools.
"In all fairness, I just found it very difficult to connect with Mario. On the field, he tried his best. But it certainly wasn’t something that worked out as everyone would like. If he could ever match that intensity with his talent, then he’d be one of the best players in the world."
Balotelli has continued to have a nomadic career with the striker failing to settle after leaving Liverpool. He impressed at Nice, which earned him a move to Marseille. He's since played in Italy, Russia and Switzerland.