Jerome Boateng has been without a club since the summer, but now the 35-year-old has found a new employer: The 2014 world champion joins US Salernitana and is set to help the Serie A bottom club stay in the league
Opening up his career has never been an issue for Jerome Boateng in recent months. “On the contrary,” emphasized the former Hertha, HSV, City, Bayern and Lyon professional, who has been without a club since the summer following the end of his stint at Olympique. “I can still help a lot of teams and I’m motivated to continue adding to my trophy collection.”
He can now do the former in Italy, the latter will be rather difficult. Boateng signed a contract with US Salernitana on Friday, with the Serie A club bottom of the table focusing on the mission of staying up rather than fighting for the title in the second half of the season.
At his first station in Italy, he has signed a contract until the end of the season and will wear the number 5 shirt. With his experience from 76 international matches, 314 Bundesliga games and 85 Champions League appearances, he should help stabilize Salernitana’s defence, which has conceded the most goals in the league with 44.
Return to Munich failed
In the past two seasons, Boateng has played for Olympique Lyon, where he recently failed to progress beyond a reserve role. After just eight appearances in the 2022/23 season, his contract was not renewed last summer. He has been without a club since then and a return to FC Bayern fell through in the autumn
For just under a week, he trained with the German record champions, with whom he was already under contract from 2011 to 2021. Ultimately, however, those responsible at Säbener Straße decided against signing him, as “the personnel situation in central defense had eased” at the time.
There had previously been opposition to a potential Boateng signing in Bayern fan circles. Boateng had had to stand trial for assault and insult. In November 2022, he was fined a total of €1.2 million for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Due to blatant legal errors, the Bavarian Supreme Court overturned Boateng’s conviction and the trial will have to be reopened