• Serie A

Berlusconi glad 'rotten apple' Balotelli left Milan

ESPN staff
October 13, 2014
Mancini: Liverpool must make Balotelli behave

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi says Mario Balotelli was signed against his wishes, while he is pleased to have since sold the "rotten apple" to Liverpool.

Mario Balotelli joined Liverpool from AC Milan in the summer © Getty Images
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Balotelli, 24, joined Milan from Manchester City in January 2013, before moving on again to Anfield in the summer.

But Berlusconi says he had never wanted Balotelli at his club in the first place, suggesting the player had a negative impact on the rest of the Milan squad.

"I remember he was bought against my advice," Berlusconi told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We have many champions: [Jeremy] Menez, [Keisuke] Honda, [Stephan] El Shaarawy, [Fernando] Torres, [Nigel] de Jong...

"The base is there. And we no longer have a rotten apple in the dressing room."

Balotelli, who scored 26 times in Serie A for Milan, is still awaiting his first Premier League goal for Liverpool following his £16 million move, although he has found the back of the net in the Champions League.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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