Central Coast Mariners head coach Mark Jackson said Mario Balotelli is “not on my list” of potential recruits though he joked about the UEFA European Championship winner fitting into the two-time reigning Isuzu UTE A-League champions’ structure.
Balotelli is currently on the books of Serie A side Genoa but the former Inter, Manchester City, AC Milan and Liverpool striker is reportedly weighing up his future after just six months with the club.
The 34-year-old and 36-time Italy international has managed just 57 minutes of action across six substitute appearances since joining Genoa in October.
When a reporter mentioned the Balotelli report and whether the Italian striker could be on Central Coast’s list after the New Year’s Eve 1-1 draw with Melbourne City, Jackson replied: “Who’s that? Who?”
The reporter answered Balotelli to which Jackson smiled and told his post-match press conference: “He’s not on my list, no. He’s not on my list.
“I don’t know. I think you know our limitations here at the Mariners. We look at players who want opportunities. He may be a player who wants an opportunity, you never know.
“Whether he could fit into our structure, we will wait and see.
“But no, he’s certainly not on my list at the minute. Maybe one for me to explore a little bit.”
Central Coast are 10th in the standings, four points outside of the top six.
The Mariners travel to Suncorp Stadium to face lowly Brisbane Roar on Friday night.
