Mario Balotelli rejected Champions League football to join Nice this summer

According to Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere, Balotelli could have joined the club's rivals Lyon but opted for Nice.

The 26-year-old left Liverpool after a fight with Klopp and struggeling the whole last season.

Rivere told 'L'Equipe: "Yes, Jean-Michel Aulas (the Lyon president) has attempted to recruit Balotelli.I learned the day before but it's okay, it's part of the game".

He also praised Raiola for his work. "This is his player and he is an agent. He is a very good agent because he knows sometimes how to raise the prices. At first, Nice was hard to grasp for Raiola. We will see later in the season, you never know in life".