Adam Derimspor attacker, Mario Balotelli, has recalled the incident that led to manager Roberto Mancini telling him he would never play for Manchester City again.
Balotelli claimed Mancini was not happy with the red card he received against Arsenal in the final stages of the 2011-2012 Premier League season.
He was automatically banned for three games and luckily avoided further punishment despite the FA looking into the foul.
The 31-year-old was not sent off for a horror tackle on Alex Song in the first half, but he picked up a second yellow for a needless foul on Bacary Sagna in the final minutes of the match, which Arsenal won 1-0.
Speaking to Man City’s website, Balotelli talked about how then-manager Mancini threatened never to play him again.
The former AC Milan and Inter Milan star said, “I don’t really remember a lot about before the match but, unfortunately, I remember the match.
“The tackle on Song was very bad from me. I am not used to tackling like that. Song is a player I know, a friend. I said sorry. It was a bad tackle but you cannot touch my friend Yaya. Song chipped the ball and I tried to guess where he was going to chip it.”
Balotelli added: “It was a very bad tackle. It could have been a red card. It was a second yellow [for the foul on Bacary Sagna] but my intention was not to make a foul – it was to stop the shot. I went there with too much aggression but it wasn’t my intention to tackle him. He (Mancini) was angry. I remember on the bus, he said: ‘You will never play again’.”
