On Tuesday, Serie A giants AC Milan announced that they would be welcoming back Mario Balotelli, a year after he left Italy for Liverpool.
After a disastrous season at Anfield, in which he managed only one goal, the Reds were keen to offload the Azzurri striker, with the Rossoneri willing to re-open their doors for the 25-year-old in a loan deal.
Super Mario expressed his delight to be back at San Siro, and made assurances that he means business in his second spell with Milan, saying:
"I'm happy to be back. There is not too much to say, since I have to get to work right now. I have to train and show what I'm capable of. Milan's always had a place in my heart and I wanted to stage a comeback.
However, AC Milan are not taking Balotelli’s word for it, and thus added an “anti-scandal” clause to his contract in order to prevent any more shenanigans from the Ghanaian-born ace.
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As reported by Sport (per Bleacher Report), the clause states that the player must always show up on time for training, must behave off the pitch as well as on, with provocative actions being prohibited.
Furthermore, La Gazzetta dello Sport (per Daily Star) report that clubbing, smoking, and “extravagant haircuts and clothing” will no longer be tolerated, whilst his social media activity will be closely monitored.
On top of that, a special bodyguard was reportedly assigned to the Italian to keep a close watch on the player’s actions.
Only time will tell whether Balotelli will abide by AC Milan’s specially-tailored rules, but the attacker should keep in mind that this loan spell stands as a lifeline to what is a fading career.
Despite there being no option to buy in his deal, Mario can rest assured that San Siro was where he last enjoyed success, scoring 23 goals in 46 games for the Italian side when he joined from Manchester City.
