Mario Balotelli, tireless as ever, ends his long free agency by joining UAE side Al-Ittifaq. The 35-year-old Italian forward, currently unattached since leaving Genoa in early 2025, accepted a lucrative two-and-a-half-year deal to play in Dubai.
Despite recent distracting rumors regarding Patrick Vieira’s controversial dismissal, Balotelli is now focused entirely on football. He meets teammates on January 9 and signs the contract officially on January 12. Agents Andrea Fulco and Nicola Maffessoli orchestrated the transfer deal, making Balotelli the first key signing for coach Pietro Laterza. This becomes the twelfth club of a storied 18-year career featuring global giants like Inter Milan, Manchester City, and Liverpool, alongside recent turbulent stints at Sion and Adana Demirspor.
As the Palermo native starts this fresh Middle Eastern challenge, the footballing world is left asking one big question: how long will this latest interesting adventure actually last for the controversial but talented veteran striker?