Jurgen Klopp has proven to be a divisive figure in the world of football and the former Liverpool manager has got on the wrong side of many people during his time in the game.
The German was famously on the receiving end of a foul-mouthed rant by Premier League official David Coote, but the referee isn’t the only one annoyed by the German’s conduct in the past. Fellow managers and even some of Klopp’s own players have been left frustrated by the strong-minded boss.
Mohamed Salah clashed with his gaffer on the touchline at West Ham shortly before Klopp would depart the club, and other incidents have taken place behind the scenes.Undoubtedly one of the greatest managers in Premier League history, the ex-Borussia Dortmund boss has never been one to mince his words or suffer fools gladly.
One man who was cast aside upon Klopp’s appointment at Anfield was Italy striker Mario Balotelli.Balotelli was brought in by Brendan Rodgers in the summer of 2014 as the Reds looked to replace the attacking output of Barcelona-bound Luis Suarez.
Signing from AC Milan, the chaotic Italian was expected to continue his impressive Serie A form during his second stint in England.Formerly of Manchester City, Balotelli failed to hit the ground running with his new club and found himself in and out of the side.
He scored just four goals in his debut campaign, with one coming in the English top-flight.It was clear from early on that Balotelli wasn’t going to be the answer to the Merseysiders’ goalscoring troubles, although he isn’t ready to take accountability for this. Instead, the current Genoa forward claimed that Rodgers was the man to blame.
In an interview back in 2015, Balotelli stated (per the Liverpool Echo):After the end of their working relationship, the Italy international branded Rodgers as ‘the worst coach I have ever had’ despite praising his methods on the training pitch.
He said: “He was number one as far as training sessions were concerned, what with keeping possession of the ball and the small-sided games.
But as a person, he was a disaster.”His rant against Rodgers came after he’d completed a loan move back to AC Milan following a bitterly disappointing year in England. Just months later, Rodgers was sacked and replaced by Klopp.
Could this be a new beginning at Anfield for the Euro 2012 finalist?It turns out that Klopp wasn’t a fan and Balotelli would be prevented from attending the Reds’ pre-season tour ahead of the 2016/17 campaign.
Balotelli spoke of the interaction he had with the 57-year-old, telling Sky Italia in 2016 (per The Mirror):After deciding it was time to move on after being frozen out by Klopp – and made to train with the Under-23s – Balotelli claimed: “I never complained, I accepted the decisions of the manager and I always behaved like a professional.
The one-time Premier League winner made sure to explain his professionalism while at Liverpool, adding: “The professional Mario didn’t just land here in Milanello, even at Liverpool my behaviour and lifestyle were normal. Over the last year, there was never a problem with my private life.
I may have put pictures from restaurants on Instagram, but that does not mean I did not train even though I was not playing.”Now 34, Balotelli has had seven permanent homes since his Anfield departure in 2016. A fruitful spell in France saw the attacker rediscover his goalscoring form with OGC Nice. Netting 43 goals in 76 games, he earned a move to Marseille.
Unfortunately, his time with the Ligue 1 giants was short-lived, and Balotelli returned to his hometown to represent Brescia.Following a one-year stint with the Italian side, he embarked on spells with Monza before moving abroad again to play for Turkish side Adana Demirspor and Swiss club Sion.
Genoa have recently signed Balotelli and given the veteran a chance to see out the last few years of his eventful career in the Italian top-flight.
