Liverpool flop Mario Balotelli seems to be falling back into old habits after one of his teammates criticised him for letting his team down.
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After a great start to life at OGC Nice, Balotelli has now scored only one league goal in the club's past seven games – a run during which Nice dropped from first to third position on the log.
Balotelli was left out of the squad for his side's 2-2 draw with Rennes on Sunday, and while the official reason given for his omission was flu symptoms, teammate Valentin Eysseric hinted that the Italian was demoted because he does not work hard enough in training.
"It is a shame he lets his head drop, you see him in training every day. He's such a great player," the midfielder told beIN SPORTS after the match.
"I think he looks like he wants nothing to do with us. It's really disappointing. We could've really used his help in a game like this.
"We know the coach demands enormous effort from his squad. He won't accept anyone taking their foot off the gas and you saw that with Mario Balotelli."
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Nice, who somewhat surprisingly raced to the top of Ligue 1 during the first half of the campaign, have won only two of their past nine games, and now sit five points behind log leaders Monaco and two behind second-placed Paris Saint-Germain.
Do you think Balotelli will ever return to his best? Have your say in the comments section below.
