Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini decided to go extremely hard on his former Italy teammate Mario Balotelli by describing him as a negative person who does not have respect for the Italian national team. The 35-year-old captain of the Juventus and the Italian national team stated this in an interview with La Repubblica.
“Balotelli is a negative person with no respect for the team,” Chiellini said. “In 2013, in the Confederations Cup against Brazil, he didn’t help us at all. He deserved a slap.”
These comments Giorgio Chiellini made against Balotelli who currently plays for Serie A club Brescia, are excerpts from the yet to be published autobiography of the Five-time Serie A champion.
As expected, Mario Balotelli could not let the comments fly. Almost immediately the former Inter Milan and Manchester City star got the information that Chiellini has given him a jab, the controversial football star took to his Instagram story to fire back.
He wrote: “At least I have the sincerity and courage to say things face to face.
“You’ve had plenty of opportunities since 2013 to behave like a real man but you didn’t – who knows what you will say one day about your current team-mates.
“Strange captain. If that’s what it means to be a champion, I prefer not to be – and I never disrespected the blue jersey.”
Felipe Melo Fires Giorgio Chiellini
Beside the jab Chiellini gave to Balotelli, the Juventus defender also served Brazilian footballer Felipe Melo something hotter than what he served his countryman.
Chiellini and Melo were teammates at Juventus before the latter left the Italian giant in 2011 to join forces with Galatasaray and then with Juventus‘ league rival Inter Milan in 2015.
“Felipe Melo is even worse: the worst of the worst,” Chiellini wrote on his yet to be published autobiography.
“I can’t stand disrespectful people, those who always want to go against the grain. There was always a fight with him. I told the coaches: he’s a rotten apple.”
Felipe Melo who now plays for Brazilian professional football club Palmeiras could not also stomach the jab from his former teammate. Hence, in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Melo said: “First of all, it would be interesting to know which episodes he is referring to.
“When I was in Turin, I never disrespected anyone: my team-mates, the managers, Juventus in general. At this point, however, I have no respect for him and I never will. He says that Balotelli is to be slapped and that I am the worst of the worst because he always risked a fight because of me?
“Well, he always p*ssed himself with fear. Sorry, but it’s too easy to speak ill of others with a book. Maybe ‘this defender’ is still mad at me because when I went to Galatasaray, we slapped them out of the Champions League.
“Maybe it’s because Inter won everything and I’m an Interista. And another thing comes to mind: we beat Italy 3-0 in the 2009 Confederations Cup and we won it.
“Maybe that’s why he’s torturing himself. Furthermore, at international level, he hasn’t won anything.
“In conclusion, saying certain things is unprofessional. This is disrespect. I’ll stop here and won’t add anything else – certain things must remain in the changing rooms.”
