MARIO BALOTELLI WAS entitled to a £1m bonus payment from Liverpool, if he did not get sent off three or more times each season he was there.
The Times reports that the payment was included in a good-behaviour clause as part of his move to Liverpool in 2014, according to documents released by Football Leaks.
Balotelli’s poor disciplinary record prompted the Merseyside club to insist that he should behave “in a manner befitting of a Liverpool player.”
If during each season of the term of this contract the player is not dismissed from the field of play on three or more occasions for violent conduct, spitting at an opponent or any other person, for using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures and/or for dissent by word or action … then on the 30th June at the end of each season he shall receive a bonus payment of £1 million.”
Balotelli received just seven yellow cards in his first season with Liverpool and was never sent off. But the former Man City player failed to hit his stride at Anfield, scoring just four goals in 28 appearances in his first year.
He spent his second season on loan at AC Milan and has since settled at Nice, who are currently top of the Ligue 1 table.
The Italian striker has scored seven goals so far this season, but his on-pitch conduct continues to pose problems for him.
After scoring the 86th minute winner against Lorient in October, Balotelli was dismissed on a second yellow card, the first of which was for taking off his shirt to celebrate the late goal just minutes earlier. That red card was later rescinded which allowed him to play in his side’s first Ligue 1 game after the international break.
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