Mino Raiola has launched a stinging attack on Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in the wake of Mario Balotelli’s transfer to OGC Nice.
Mario Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola has launched a scathing attack on Jurgen Klopp in the wake of the Italian’s departure from Anfield reports The Daily Mail.
Raiola was reported to have said the Liverpool manager was “not a good coach” and “was a piece of ****” for making Balotelli train alone.
Balotelli returned to Merseyside this summer after an unsuccessful loan period at AC Milan and Klopp made it clear he had no future at Anfield.
The German was so keen to keep the Italian out of his plans that he sent Balotelli to train with the reserves. The Italian ultimately left Liverpool on the final day of the transfer window on a free transfer to French side Nice.
Raiola told Gazzetta dello Sport: “In the end, the higher-ups at Liverpool admitted that Klopp was wrong (to send Balotelli to train with the reserves). I’m not trying to judge him as a coach, although, for me, he’s not a good coach, but he didn’t understand that Balotelli is, whatever else, a person.
“Mario has been exemplary. He never complained about training alone. To say that it was wrong of Klopp would be an understatement; he was a piece of **** about it.”
The move to Ligue 1 brings shows just how far Balotelli has fallen in recent times. Over the summer the Italian was linked with a number of clubs, including Ajax and Palermo, but it was Nice who eventually won the race for his services, and Raiola made it clear it is the French league that will see the benefits of welcoming Balotelli.
Raiola said: “Whoever has the TV rights to Ligue 1 should give a bonus to Nice. Without Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic), this league has lost at least 50 per cent of its value.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
