The striker left Anfield this summer after a disastrous spell at Anfield.
Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli
Former Liverpool forward El-Hadji Diouf has told L’Equipe that Steven Gerrard was to blame for Mario Balotelli failing at Anfield.
Balotelli departed the club for Ligue 1 side Nice this summer after a disastrous two-year spell on Merseyside.
He struggled in his first year under Brendan Rodgers and was sent out on loan to AC Milan last season before being moved on by Jurgen Klopp in the last transfer window.
Picture Supplied by Action Images
Much has been made of why he failed to impress, with his attitude named as the culprit by many.
Not Diouf though, who believes that former captain Steven Gerrard and his jealousy was to blame for the Italian’s struggles.
“I told him not to go to Liverpool,” he told L’Equipe.
“It wasn’t made for him, that things couldn’t go well with Gerrard, who has never had his talent and then said negative things about him. Gerrard is a jealous man who doesn’t like men of character.”
Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli looks dejected
It will be interesting to see if Liverpool end up regret allowing Balotelli to leave this summer.
While his spell was a disastrous one, to say the least, he can be a star man on his day and if anyone could coax that out of him it is Jurgen Klopp.
It wasn’t meant to be, though, and he will instead be determined to prove himself with Nice in Ligue 1.
If he does, the Reds may secretly look back and think they should have given him the chance to turn things around.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp before the match
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