Mario Balotelli and Felipe Melo have both slammed Giorgio Chiellini for comments directed at them in a new book.
Chiellieni said in his autobiography that Balotelli deserves “a slap” and described Melo as a “bad apple”.
“Balotelli is a negative person with no respect for the team,” Chiellini wrote.
“In 2013, in the Confederations Cup against Brazil, he didn’t help us at all. He deserved a slap.”
“Felipe Melo is even worse: the worst of the worst.
“I can’t stand disrespectful people, those who always want to go against the grain.
“There was always a fight with him. I told the coaches: he’s a rotten apple,” Chiellini blasted in his book.
Both players were quick to hit back at Chiellini.
Melo voiced his sentiments in a discussion with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“First of all, it would be interesting to know which episodes he is referring to,” began Melo.
“When I was in Turin, I never disrespected anyone: my team-mates, the managers, Juventus in general.
“At this point, however, I have no respect for him and I never will.
“He says that Balotelli is to be slapped and that I am the worst of the worst because he always risked a fight because of me?
“Well, he always p*ssed himself with fear. Sorry, but it’s too easy to speak ill of others with a book.
“Maybe ‘this defender’ is still mad at me because when I went to Galatasaray, we slapped them out of the Champions League.
“Maybe it’s because Inter won everything and I’m an Interista.
“And another thing comes to mind: we beat Italy 3-0 in the 2009 Confederations Cup and we won it.
“Maybe that’s why he’s torturing himself. Furthermore, at international level, he hasn’t won anything.
“In conclusion, saying certain things is unprofessional. This is disrespect. I’ll stop here and won’t add anything else – certain things must remain in the changing rooms,” he concluded.
Balotelli also took the time to respond to Chiellini and he chose to do it via social media.
“At least I have the sincerity and courage to say things face to face,” he wrote on an Instagram story.
“You’ve had plenty of opportunities since 2013 to behave like a real man but you didn’t – who knows what you will say one day about your current team-mates.
“Strange captain. If that’s what it means to be a champion, I prefer not to be – and I never disrespected the blue jersey,” Balotelli concluded.
