Mario Balotelli is about to begin the latest chapter in his unique career with the news that the well-traveled Italian striker has signed for United Arab Emirates side Al Ittifaq on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

The Dubai-based side play in the second tier of UAE football and is rock bottom of the standings. It is also the 14th club of Balotelli’s career to date.

Balotelli had been a free agent since the summer and has not played competitive football since December 2024, following a somewhat underwhelming stint back in Italy with Genoa. The 35-year-old mustered just six league appearances for the club, all of which came off the bench.

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The oft-controversial forward has struggled to settle anywhere since leaving Liverpool in 2015 and has spent periods at various clubs in France, Italy, Turkey and Switzerland. However, he has never recaptured the mercurial form that saw him win the Premier League title with Manchester City, earn 36 caps for his country and even get nominated for the 2012 Ballon d’Or.

Though it is worth recalling why we all fell in love with him in the first place. That is, of course, his vast array of misguided mischief and antics.

The cars

Mario Balotelli And His Camouflage Bentley #mariobalotelli #ACMilan #Footballer #Bentley #footballercars pic.twitter.com/zTUo8pz1or

— Footballers Cars® (@FootballerCars) March 9, 2013

Balotelli has owned a succession of high-end supercars over the years, but perhaps the most memorable (other than the handful he has managed to crash and write off) is the astounding camouflaged Bentley he proudly unveiled while pulling up to City training in 2011.

The cold shoulder

Among the most famous goals of Balotelli’s career came for City during a 5-1 pummelling of Norwich City in 2011. The Italian added his side’s fourth goal of the rout with one of the most nonchalant finishes the Premier League has ever witnessed, nudging the ball over the line with a shrug of his shoulders.

The dart ‘prank’

In March 2011, City were forced to launch an internal investigation in a so-called “prank” that took place at their training complex after it emerged that the then-20-year-old Balotelli had been throwing darts out of an upstairs window in the general direction of youth team players.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt as a result.

The preseason trick shot

While it wasn’t the first (or last) time he would invoke the wrath of his manager, Balotelli got himself instantly substituted inside the first 30 minutes of a preseason friendly against LA Galaxy in 2011 when a botched trick shot enraged coach Roberto Mancini to the point that he decided to hook the striker on the spot.

The fireworks

‘Twas the eve of the Manchester derby and all through Balotelli’s house nothing was stirring — nothing except the impromptu fireworks display that the City striker and his friends decided to stage in his own bathroom for reasons unknown.

Roughly 24 hours before kickoff, the Italian striker had to be evacuated from his lodgings by the fire brigade after things got out of hand, leading to a stern ticking off and an enforced stint as the club’s ambassador for fireworks safety.

“The newspapers got the story wrong about me and the fire at my house,” Balotelli later said while promoting a firework safety campaign. “I didn’t set any fireworks off, it was a friend of mine. I didn’t know anything about it until I heard the shouting coming from the bathroom.

“Luckily, nobody was injured, and my friend apologised to me for the damage to my house. It was a really stupid thing for him to do, someone could have been really hurt, and I was really, really angry with him about it.

“They can be very dangerous if they are not used in the right way. People should follow the firework code.”

The T-shirt

Despite finding himself making headlines once again, Balotelli scored the first two goals in what proved to be a 6-1 demolition of rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in the aforementioned derby fixture, leading to one of the most famous goal celebrations in Premier League history.

“Why always me?”, indeed.

The pet pig

What do you get the man who has everything? Why a pet micro pig, of course — and that is precisely what Balotelli announced he had taken delivery of in 2014 when an adorable little oinker by the name of Super came into his life.

The statue

7 years ago, we were all at the mercy of Mario Balotelli’s epic goal celebration in the Euro semifinals. pic.twitter.com/JWVgsDQlcV

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2019

With a pig running loose about the house, Balotelli obviously felt the need to further feather his nest with a large bronze statue of himself.

According to Brescia-based artist Livio Scarpella, the striker commissioned an effigy of himself in full “Power Flex” mode — a nod to the iconic shirtless goal celebration he hit after scoring for Italy against Germany in the semifinals of Euro 2012.

“I received the commission, but have never actually met Balotelli, so I am working from photographs,” Scarpella said. “I presented various sketches, but Mario wanted to be immortalised in the pose after the goal: muscles in evidence and an expression to challenge the opponents.

Unfortunately it would appear that the statue never materialised, so we can only imagine how tasteful and subtle it might have been.

The selfie celebration

Mario Balotelli’s latest goal celebration is something else! 😂 pic.twitter.com/uxgIJVS7dB

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 4, 2019

No stranger to a goal celebration, Balotelli had his third viral smash hit in 2019 when he scored for Marseille against Saint-Étienne and then proceeded to retrieve a mobile phone from behind the goal and mark the occasion with a group selfie.

The pasta incident

After departing Liverpool under something of a cloud, Balotelli got off to a flying start with Nice by scoring a raft of goals in Ligue 1. However, while his form improved drastically, tales of his previous antics continued to surface.

In 2016, Balotelli’s former Italy U21 teammate Salvatore Bocchetti claimed that the striker tried to start a food fight during a meal with the squad.

“One day were were eating in the dining room with the rest of the squad,” the then-Spartak Moscow defender told Russian television show Kul’t Tura. “Balotelli arrived and he just throw a plate of pasta into the face of Marco Motta!

“He’s a good player but he’s got no head! He’s crazy! He’s got no brain.”

The Puskas nomination

As well as his often overlooked Ballon d’Or nod in 2012, it is also worth remembering that Balotelli was also shortlisted for the Puskas Award thanks to the extraordinary rabona goal he scored for Adana Demirspor in 2022.

Balotelli’s fancy effort eventually finished fourth in the running with Polish amputee player Marcin Oleksy winning the 2022 Puskas Award for his incredible volley.

The fireworks (Part II)

Mario Balotelli tossing mini fireworks in the Adana Demirspor locker room 😂🧨pic.twitter.com/jR4nE4pcHd

— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) March 6, 2024

Having obviously failed to heed the lessons of 2011, Balotelli undermined his position as City’s chief firework safety officer when he was filmed throwing lit firecrackers around in the Adana Demirspor dressing room.

The haircuts

From fluffy tufts to high-rise mohawks, Balotelli has worn many weird and wonderful coifs but perhaps the most elaborate of them all came in 2019 when the Italian unveiled a new tinted warrior braid arrangement which he accessorized with a cluster of dainty silver earrings.

NEWCASTLE, England — For most of the second half, the song drifting down from the top of the Leazes Stand at St. James’ Park was “Gold” by Spandau Ballet. It’s the tune Manchester City fans have adopted to honor their newest signing, Antoine Semenyo, and there were plenty of reasons to give it a good airing on a cold Tuesday night in Newcastle.

The winger, signed from Bournemouth for £64 million five days ago, followed his debut goal against Exeter City on Saturday with another in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg. It was a tap-in from six inches, and he will no doubt score better ones over the course of his 5½-year contract in Manchester. He might not score a more important one.

For a long time it looked like City, struggling with injuries to key defenders, were happy to get out of there with a draw, in the hopes of booking their place in the final when Newcastle visit the Etihad Stadium in three weeks’ time for the second leg. But after Semenyo’s goal and a second from substitute Rayan Cherki in the 98th minute earned an impressive 2-0 win, those supporters singing in Newcastle will be already tentatively booking trips to Wembley.

“We know Bournemouth did an incredible job with him, and every time the ball arrives to him, he always is there,” said Guardiola. The right man in the right place, in more ways than one.

Semenyo was the central figure all night and was inadvertently caught in the middle of both managers’ irritations after the final whistle. Guardiola fumed at the decision to rule out a second goal for Semenyo after a VAR delay of nearly six minutes. “I’m pretty sure [referees’ chief] Howard Webb is going to come in tomorrow to give an explanation of that,” said the City boss, visibly annoyed.

Newcastle coach Eddie Howe, meanwhile, was asked afterward whether it was fair that Semenyo was allowed to play despite featuring for Bournemouth earlier in the competition. Only a rule change this season allowed it to happen. “The rules are the rules,” Howe said with a rueful look on his face. “I can’t focus on that too much.”

As good as City’s performance was, Guardiola admitted the night had been decided by “fine margins” and it was Semenyo who got the all-important first goal. When his song finally died down in stoppage time, the City fans switched almost seamlessly to chants of “Is there a fire drill?” It was in response to the streams of Newcastle supporters heading to the exits despite their team still pushing for what — at that point — would still have been an important goal.

Perhaps they thought it would never come because of the preceding 90-plus minutes. That had everything to do with center backs Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne. The pair — one 20 years old and the other 21 — were only playing because of injuries to Josko Gvardiol, Rúben Dias and John Stones. Alleyne was playing on loan at Watford against Birmingham as recently as New Year’s Day.

They walked out for kickoff at St. James’ Park faced with a banner displayed by the home fans that read: “Get into ’em.” If anything, though, it was the other way around.

There were some nervous moments early on. Khusanov miscontrolled a high ball and was almost robbed by Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon. A pass from City goalkeeper James Trafford rolled under Alleyne’s foot in his own penalty area. But as the game went on, their confidence grew. By halftime, Alleyne was driving into midfield and fizzing passes into Erling Haaland‘s feet.

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Their first job was to stop Newcastle scoring, and they did it perfectly. Howe’s side — roared forward by all four corners of the stadium at every opportunity — managed only three shots on target. They don’t often fail to score at home, having done so only once since November 2024.

Yoanne Wissa forced Trafford into a good save with a header in the second half, but that was about it. Striker Nick Woltemade came on for the last 20 minutes and couldn’t do any better.

“It was a good test,” said Guardiola. “With Wissa on transitions and Woltemade with the ball. They were extraordinary defensively. I cannot be more grateful to Watford, because [Alleyne] made a step up as a football player. “

It bodes well for City that Semenyo, Khusanov and Alleyne can step up in an important moment with vital games to come in the next seven days. On Saturday, it’s a Manchester derby at Old Trafford. On Tuesday, it’s a trip to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt with a place in the top eight of the Champions League up for grabs.

Guardiola has spoken more than once this season about certain games — pressurized games — offering his rebuilt squad the chance to grow. Real Madrid in the Bernabeu was one. A cup semifinal at Newcastle was another.

With another examination passed, his new team is in sight of another trophy.

It was a breakfast meeting involving Sir Alex Ferguson, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, two days after the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, that set the course for former Man United star Michael Carrick to return to Manchester United as their new head coach, which was confirmed on Tuesday night. The task ahead of him? Steering the team to stability, and some kind of success, between now and the end of the season.

United director of football Wilcox and CEO Berrada called time on Amorim’s 14-month reign in charge of the team — his 38.1% win rate was, by some distance, the worst of any United manager during the Premier League era — on Jan. 5, a day after drawing 1-1 at Leeds United. Having installed Under-18 coach and former Darren Fletcher as interim coach for a two-game period, the two men needed to identify a more experienced candidate to take charge until the summer, ultimately settling on Carrick, who won every major honour, including five Premier Leagues and a Champions League title, during a 12-year, 464-game playing career at United.

Carrick, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ruud van Nistelrooy, all of whom had previously enjoyed brief spells as United’s interim coach, were shortlisted to return by Wilcox and Berrada, but despite minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe ending Ferguson’s £2 million-a-year ambassador role at Old Trafford in Oct 2024, the club’s most successful-ever manager was invited into the training ground to give his verdict on the manager search.

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“Omar and Jason spoke to Sir Alex,” a source with knowledge of the meeting told ESPN. “They met over breakfast to discuss three guys who had all played under him in the past. Some might criticise that, so you can’t win, but Sir Alex knows Michael, Ole and Ruud better than anyone, so Omar and Jason canvassed his opinion.”

While United sources have declined to say whether Ferguson directly anointed Carrick as his favoured choice — the last time he had such direct input, with “the Chosen One,” David Moyes, it ended in ignominy after just 10 months and 51 games — a source outside the club has told ESPN that the 84-year-old was wholly positive about his former midfielder and fully supports his appointment.

Club sources told ESPN that Wilcox made first contact with Carrick, Solskjaer and Van Nistelrooy last Tuesday, 24 hours after terminating Amorim’s contract, and that all three men were spoken to at length about their plans to resurrect the team’s season. Carrick and Solskjaer met Wilcox and Berrada in face-to-face meetings while Van Nistelrooy held discussions via video meeting; one source familiar with the process telling ESPN that was because the former Netherlands forward already had a pre-existing relationship with Wilcox and Berrada, having initially worked as a coach under Erik ten Hag before taking charge of the team for four games following Ten Hag’s dismissal in Oct 2024.

Despite having half a season to play and with United still aiming for European qualification through a top-four finish in the Premier League, Wilcox and Berrada opted for an interim appointment until the end of the season in order to allow time to recruit a permanent coach in the summer.

‘Someone who knew and understood the club’

The decision to turn to a former United player and coach was rooted in wanting to, according to a source, “bring in someone who knew and understood the club to reduce the risk of a period of adaptation.” Sources connected to the search told ESPN that all three candidates impressed Berrada and Wilcox, but Carrick ultimately emerged as the unanimous choice.

“They all presented very well, all good guys, but Michael stood out,” a United source said. “He is a smart young coach, he isn’t overawed by the club and it was felt that he has the right leadership, authority and adaptability to do the job.”

Carrick’s more hands-on approach to coaching also played in his favour: the 41-year-old shared coaching duties with Kieran McKenna, now Ipswich manager, during his time as Solskjaer’s assistant at United from 2018-2021. During that span, Carrick’s personality and presence also made him a popular and respected figure among the playing squad. But sources have said it was a close-run contest between Carrick and Solskjaer in particular, with the Norwegian being given the demoralising news on Tuesday that he had missed out on a return to the club having managed the team for three seasons, following Jose Mourinho’s departure in December, 2018.

“Ole took the news like a gentleman,” a United source told ESPN. “Jason spoke to both Ole and Ruud on Tuesday morning. All three guys on the list are great guys, but in the end, the club just preferred Michael.”

Carrick, who has spent time on the golf course and working as a TV analyst since leaving his post as manager of EFL Championship side Middlesbrough at the end of the 2024-25 season, will take charge of training for the first time on at Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s Manchester derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford. The former England midfielder will be assisted by coaches Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion, as well as Steve Holland, who worked as Gareth Southgate’s number two with England between 2016 and 2024.

Holland was hired by United after Carrick and Wilcox discussed the need for a coach with experience of working at the highest level. The 55-year-old is known to be demanding and abrasive — one source said he can be “cold and aloof” — but Southgate regarded Holland as a crucial element of his reign as England manager.

“Gareth was the long-term guy, somebody who the players could identify with, but Steve was the tougher figure,” a source close to Southgate told ESPN. “Steve spent a long time at Chelsea, working with Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte, and he has a hard edge because of that. He made Gareth realise that you have to win today as well as plan for tomorrow.”

While neither Carrick nor Wilcox have worked with Holland previously, a United source said that the club’s England players were “delighted” when told of his addition to the coaching staff. But while United have overhauled their coaching team, the responsibility for results will fall on Carrick’s shoulders.

Despite an outward appearance for being quiet and under-stated, Carrick has a tough streak and he has shown it in the past at United. During his three-game stint as interim coach following Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021, Carrick was bold enough to drop both Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo from the team.

Fernandes was dropped for a Champions League game against Villarreal in his first game in charge – a 2-0 win – and Ronaldo was demoted to the substitutes’ bench for a 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Carrick’s third game was a 3-2 Old Trafford win against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and although incoming interim manager Ralf Rangnick wanted him to remain on the staff, Carrick rejected the offer, a source familiar with these conversations told ESPN, out of loyalty to Solskjaer.

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There is little fuss with Carrick. When he signed for United as a player from Tottenham in the summer of 2006, six months after legendary captain Roy Keane’s acrimonious departure, he readily accepted the challenge of taking Keane’s number 16 shirt when other players might shy away from the pressure. And during Louis van Gaal’s two-year reign as manager between 2014-16, Carrick and Wayne Rooney met with the former Ajax and Barcelona coach to relay squad concerns about his over-bearing style of management and repetitive training methods.

“The players had had enough of Van Gaal’s tactics, so Michael and Wayne told him to ease off and give them more freedom,” a source with knowledge of that meeting said. “Van Gaal listened and respected them for fronting him up, but while he relented briefly, it didn’t last long.”

But by dropping Fernandes and Ronaldo and then confronting Van Gaal, Carrick displayed his steely side and it was one that he will need to show if he is to revive United and guide the team to Champions League qualification.

If he succeeds, supporters and pundits may clamour for Carrick to be given the job on a permanent basis, but no promises have been made. However, the task in front of him is daunting. United have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions and his first two fixtures are City at home and Arsenal away.

For somebody who once confessed to being a car obsessive, admitting that he would swap his football career for that of a Formula One driver, Carrick might believe he has been given the keys to a Ferrari after taking the United job.

Right now, the tires are flat and the wrong oil is in the engine, but Carrick is in the drivers’ seat now, and he has four months to get everything in working order and finally heading in the right direction.