Mario Balotelli Extends Contract with Nice

Italian striker, Mario Balotelli, has signed an extension of his contract with French club, OGC Nice.

Balotelli joined the Ligue 1 club in 2016 and went on to have a rather successful season with the club. He scored 17 goals in 28 games last season, helping Nice reach third place in the French professional football league.

Balotelli’s extension will see the 26-year-old stay with the club until 2018.

According to reports, Balotelli wanted to stay with the club so badly, that he agreed to a pay cut for his extension.

Nice were keen to keep Balotelli, but could not afford to continue paying the former Manchester City player his current salary for another season. Thus, they reached a compromise with Balotelli..

“The Italian international has made considerable financial efforts to continue the Nice adventure, as he always intended during this off-season, favouring the sporting aspect and the choice of his heart [sic],” Nice management said in a statement.

Balotelli has long since been a controversial player. During his time with Manchester City and with Milan, he was reprimanded for his behaviour on several occasions.

His image as a ‘bad boy’ severely dented his likeability, which, in turn, caused clubs to have little interest in him despite his talent.

Even during his recent season with Nice, he was sent off the pitch three times, and was booked five times.

However, it seems that Nice has faith in the striker. The club officially announced Balotelli’s contract extension on Twitter on Sunday evening.