The team in fashion vs the old-fashioned man

Mario Balotelli was only in his early twenties when he was already causing headaches for defences, his entourage and his fans. In his wanderings in England and Italy, he became so fashionable that, nowadays, it is impossible to mention him without attracting attention. On Thursday night, he is due to take the pitch in his second game for Genoa, curiously enough, against an opponent who also is making headlines lately.

It is Como. A million-dollar investment propelled their project into Serie A with Cesc Fabregas at the helm. Their dressing room boasts well-known talents such as Patrick Cutrone, Andrea Belotti, Sergi Roberto, Alberto Moreno, Pepe Reina and Nico Paz. The Real Madrid youth product, thanks to his departure from the 'Merengues', has earned a place in the Argentina national team squad for the second consecutive international break.

Whether it is because of the operations during the summer transfer window, the breath of fresh air in the Calcio top flight, the profile of their coach or the occasional team talk that has gone viral on social media, this club is attracting a lot of attention. For the moment, however, their stay in the top flight of football in Italia is proving difficult: they have lost three in a row and have not won since 29th September.

Genoa, who are coming off the back of a narrow win at Parma, could turn to Mario Balotelli to take advantage of this unsettled situation, now that he has gained some form. His coach only introduced him for the closing stages of the aforementioned win and it took him six minutes to see a yellow card. In his farewell to Adana Demirsport, he provided an assist and was shown a red card. It was a trademark farewell.

 

November 7, 2024