Balotelli involved in fight in which man loses three fingers

Mario Balotelli, contracted to Liverpool but who spent last season on loan at AC Milan, was involved in an altercation outside a nightclub in which a man lost three fingers, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported. The Italian daily said that the striker and his brother, Enoc, were both caught in up in the fist fight and that the unidentified man suffered his injuries while trying to flee the melee.

The Italian press has yet to fully clarify the role Balotelli played and reports of the incident are conflictive. Local newspaper Bresciaoggi said the fight might have started because Balotelli and his brother were subjected to abuse.

Some sources reported that Balotelli distanced himself from the brawl, which involved several people, in order to avoid any problems. Other versions of events place Balotelli in the thick of the fight.

Balotelli’s career has been on a downward trajectory in recent seasons and at 25 years of age he is more often found on the wrong pages of the press. The striker was left out of Italy’s Euro 2016 squad after a disappointing season at San Siro and his future remains uncertain. He has been told to report to Liverpool for pre-season training but whether or not he will convince Jürgen Klopp he remains a viable option for the Reds remains to be seen.