Italian striker Mario Balotelli celebrated the sacking of his former Manchester City teammate, Frenchman Patrick Vieira. Vieira was fired from Olympique Lyonnais after a series of poor results. Balotelli, who played alongside Vieira at Manchester City, posted a photo of Vieira on social media with the caption: 'I told you this would happen.' This post caused a big stir in the media and among fans. Many believe Balotelli was trying to joke with Vieira, while others see it as a sign of disrespect. Vieira, in turn, reacted to Balotelli's post, writing: 'It's part of the game.' Vieira was dismissed as Lyon's head coach on October 9, 2024, after the team lost 0-3 to Metz. Under Vieira's leadership, Lyon had won only one of their seven Ligue 1 matches. Balotelli and Vieira played together for Manchester City in the 2012/2013 season. Vieira was the club's sporting director, while Balotelli was a player. Vieira left Manchester City in 2013 to become the sporting director of New York City FC, before returning to France to take over as Lyon's head coach.
