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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Sam Meade

Mario Balotelli set to be released by Brescia - two years before contract expires

Mario Balotelli's Brescia career is over two years before his contract was due to expire.

The former Manchester City striker has clashed with club president Massimo Cellino and their relationship looks to be at breaking point.

Balotelli joined his hometown club last summer on a three-year deal.

But the Italian has missed 10 days of training and had a huge bust up with Cellino according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Balotelli has since returned to training but has been isolated from the first-team and manager Diego Lopez.

The 30-year-old reportedly earns an annual salary of £877,000 at the Serie A side.

Mario Balotelli looks set to leave Brescia (Alessandro Sabattini)

Cellino though regrets offering him such a lucrative deal and is now ready to sever ties.

The former Leeds owner is also frustrated by his lack of goals having seen Balotelli score five times in 19 outings.

The two parties will go their separate ways in the summer having reached an agreement.

Cellino has previously labelled Balotelli "embarrasing" in a rant on Italian radio.

Mario Balotelli has struggled to find the back of the net (Alessandro Sabattini)

"The lad embarrasses me," he told Italian station Radio Sportiva. "I'm hammered every day and am pilloried.

"That I brought him home over-exposed him. You only mention Balotelli for what he does off the pitch not on it and that is embarrassing."

The forward was regularly in the headlines during his two separate spells in England.

While at Manchester City he and manager Roberto Mancini clashed, despite Balotelli producing moments of brilliance.

His brace in City's famous 6-1 win at Old Trafford saw him unveil the t-shirt with the words "why always me".

He left the Etihad for AC Milan but then returned with Liverpool, however his underwhelming spell at Anfield saw him score just four times.

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