I don't know how many other Chinese fans remember the name of Jonathan Balotelli, a 1989-born striker who spent his early years in Brazil's lower leagues. In July 2016, he joined North Macedonian side Valdar River. In a little more than a season here, Balotelli played in 35 games for the team, scoring 12 goals and five assists.
In that year, Valdar River was given the opportunity to participate in the Champions League qualification match, and he scored a goal in the match against Copenhagen, but unfortunately the team lost 2-4 on aggregate in two legs and missed the next qualifying stage.
In January 2017, he left Europe and embarked on an adventure in Asia. He has since played for Al Qalafa in Qatar, The Busan Idol and Navot at Iran United. From the end of July to December 2019, Balotelli played for Chengdu in the Chinese League One. During this period, he scored 6 goals in 10 league appearances and scored 6 goals at a fairly good efficiency.
This brother is tall and tall, plus the translation of the English name is very similar to the famous Italian "Ba Shen" Balotelli, and many fans will also compare the two. After leaving China, Balotelli faced nearly 10 months of unemployment. He terminated his contract with Chengdu on 1 December, but did not find a job in the Cyprus League until the end of August of the following year.
In late March, the football tramp came to South Korea again, with Jeonnam Dragons signing the striker. The 32-year-old Balotelli has returned to the East Asian League from scratch.
Throughout the season, Balotelli scored 11 goals and 3 assists in 30 appearances in the K2 League in South Korea. On the top scorers list, he is tied for fourth with other players. The 32-year-old striker also had his own highlight moments, having hatped in a single game in the 15th round against Seoul Attachment. After the regular season, the team finished fourth, but unfortunately did not reach the final in the promotion play-offs. In the end, the Jeonnam Tenryu and the upgrade quota were lost.
However, Jeonnam Tenryu made it all the way through the FA Cup match in Korea, and the team defeated Pohang Iron man and Ulsan Hyundai in the knockout stage to reach the final. In the first leg of the final, the team lost 0-1 at home to Daegu FC, and in the second leg of the match on December 11, The Jeonnam Tenryu exploded, the team scored 2 goals in the first and second halves, and finally defeated the opponent 4-3, achieving a big reversal.
Balotelli played the entire game in the first leg, and he stepped up his attack in the second half of the second leg to help the team win the championship.
After two matches, Jeonnam Tianlong, who is in the K2 League, won the FA Cup. And Balotelli played in this cup as a main player, he sent 1 goal and 2 assists. That included a 2-1 win over Ulsan Hyundai in the semi-finals, when he assisted his teammate's right-footed score in the 48th minute to score the second goal that set the record for the win.
With this championship trophy, the team was given the opportunity to participate in next season's AFC Champions League. If Jonathan Balotelli can stay in the squad next season, he will make his AFC Champions League debut in the coming year.
Next season, The Jeonnam Dragons may aim to rise to the top flight. It is not known whether Balotelli will be able to play and score in the K-League in South Korea in the twilight of his career. If this goal is achieved, it will be another achievement for him to unlock his career, right?