Ten Transfers in Ten Years: Balotelli’s “Free Fall”

Written by Han Bing On January 8, a transfer news both shocking and barely noticed emerged: 35-year-old Balotelli is set to sign with Dubai Cooperation Club in the UAE second division, returning to professional football after six months without a club. Of course, this contract lacks the lucrative pay of Middle Eastern leagues and instead reflects the lament of a fallen prodigy.

In ten years, Balotelli has transferred ten times, playing for nine different clubs, descending from Serie A giants through Italy, France, Switzerland, Turkey, and now to the UAE lower league. From a “trophy collector” thirteen years ago, he has become a “stamp collector” wandering from club to club.

Who still remembers the “European Golden Boy” who, by age 22, had won the Italian treble, the Premier League, the Champions League, and reached the European Championship final? Who recalls his famous phrase, “Why always me?” Everyone remembers that at 22, he graced the cover of Time magazine, was named among the magazine’s annual 100 most influential people as “Super Mario,” standing alongside Obama, Spielberg, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and LeBron James.

At 35, Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed his fifth Champions League title, Messi has lifted the World Cup, but Balotelli—once hoped to rival these two giants—now struggles to make a living in the UAE second division at the same age…

On June 28, 2012, after scoring against Germany in the European Championship semifinal, Balotelli ripped off his shirt revealing his perfectly toned muscles and stared fiercely into the distance, a moment that became a global pop culture icon. That was the peak of his career, but any player who peaks before 22 must work hard to maintain it. Sadly, Balotelli did not follow in the footsteps of Ronaldo and Messi. His career was shadowed by childish, reckless, and volatile scandals; he gained fame off the pitch but faded on it. Balotelli both created his global fame and became its victim. His famous phrase “Why always me?” is no longer rhetorical but a deep existential question about his own meaning.

Balotelli’s career has declined sharply over the past decade, with ten clubs in ten years turning him into a “club stamp collector.” The 2021/22 season was his last shining moment, scoring 18 goals in 31 matches in the Turkish league. Since then, he has moved through Switzerland, Turkey, and Italy, with diminishing appearances and goals. Last season at Genoa in Serie B, he appeared only six times as a substitute, totaling 57 minutes, with just two shots and two yellow cards, and has not played since December 21, 2024.

After terminating his contract with Genoa last summer, 35-year-old Balotelli even showed interest by walking the runway at Paris Fashion Week. Initially, he was close to joining Spain’s third-tier club Real Murcia, with rumors in August linking him to Turkish teams Gaziantep and his former club Adana. Dubai Palm City Club, funded by UAE President Mohammed, also made an offer. This club competes in the UAE third division and includes former Newcastle and Shandong Luneng player Cissé. Balotelli also considered playing in Major League Soccer… However, none of these plans materialized.

In October last year, Balotelli told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he rejected overseas offers, hoping to stay in Italy. He even dreamed of playing for the Italian national team, hoping Gattuso would call him up for the March European World Cup qualifiers playoffs. But in a December interview with Italian media, unemployed for half a year, Balotelli lowered his expectations: “I’ve been training alone, and I feel football now focuses more on physicality. In January, I will consider good options.”

In reality, Balotelli had no other choice but to accept the facts. He did not join the Saudi team Dammam Cooperation once coached by Gerrard but signed with Dubai Cooperation in the UAE second division. The invitation came because the club’s new owner since last September is Italian billionaire Ratzza, who also owns Serie B club Chievo. Dubai Cooperation is a newly promoted team in the UAE second division, currently bottom of the table with only 2 wins and 9 losses in 11 rounds. Ratzza invited Balotelli to help avoid relegation, and after over a year without playing, Balotelli had no option but to accept. On January 9, he flew to Dubai to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract and officially debuted on the 12th.

On January 24, in an away match against the Chiefs Club, Balotelli will make his debut in his sixth different league. Thus, the football prodigy once expected to become a phenomenal star has completed the final piece of his self-destructive career puzzle.