New Genoa coach Patrick Vieira had to laugh when asked about striker Mario Balotelli during his press conference ahead of Sunday’s game against Cagliari.
The Frenchman replaces sacked Alberto Gilardino on a contract until 2026 and is likely to be linked with a reunion with Balotelli after a spell at Ligue 1 side Nice.
“He’s my favorite,” Vieira replied with a laugh when asked about Balotelli. “I expected that to be the first question.”
“Italian football has changed a lot, the players have changed, but what remains the same is that Serie A is a very difficult league to play in. It is not easy to win, but we have the quality to perform well.”
Returning to the topic of Balotelli, Vieira added: “I know Mario very well. He is a player and a person I admire. He has to continue working to be ready to help the team perform well and win.”
“He’s a great player, but he has UFABET to keep working hard.”
The former world class midfielder landed his first proper management role back in 2016 at New York City in America. Vieira was head coach there until 2018, before heading to Nice where he was the manager from 2018-2020. The Frenchman led Nice to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 in his first season.