Very few players entertained, amused and angered in equal capacity as much as former Manchester City and Liverpool ace Mario Balotelli.
The fiery Italian hitman was one of the most unpredictable players to ever feature in the Premier League. From one moment to the next, Balotelli often left the likes of Roberto Mancini and Brendan Rodgers in a constant period of angst.
From his bizarre off-pitch demeanours which essentially cemented his own space on the back pages of the newspapers, to his sheer unpredictability on the pitch which could see him win a match on his own or get himself sent off in equal measure – Mirror Football considers seven stories about Balotelli that we consider to be true or false.
Firework campaign
There were certainly plenty of fireworks during Balotelli’s football career in England and Italy. And there were also plenty in his bathroom the night before the Manchester derby in October 2011.
Just when you thought this clash could not get any more heated, Balotelli reportedly set first to his own bathroom after trying to launch fireworks from the bathroom window. The Fire Brigade had to be called, and while nobody was injured, Balotelli was left looking very silly – not to mention his bathroom was wild.
But just as things could not get any better, Balotelli not only scored in City’s 6-1 victory over United at Old Trafford, but he even became the face of a Firework Safety campaign. Just like many other things in Balotelli’s career, it really does have to be seen to be believed.
Verdict: True
Balotelli’s car being impounded 27 times
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Considering the fact Balotelli once owned a camouflage-coloured Bentley, one would have thought this was completely false. However, his invisible Bentley was also joined by a Ferrari, a Bentley, and many other jaw-dropping motors.
But reports from the Sun, via the Daily Mail, understand Balotelli’s white Maserati was impounded a jaw-dropping 27 times, as he just simply did not care about the prospect of receiving a parking fine. “Mario will drive from his luxury apartment to a restaurant a few streets away and leave the car on double yellows,” a source close to Manchester City said to the Sun.
He also reportedly racked up approximately £10,000 in parking fines, as the prospect of a £70 fine was a mere drop in the ocean for a player earning £100,000 per week. Considering his enormous salary, Mirror Football believes this story is more than true.
Verdict: True
The women’s prison
As well as being an elite level footballer, Balotelli also appears to have a huge passion in exploring – women’s prisons that is and not the rest of the world. When the striker was a raw, and even more unpredictable 20-year-old prospect, Balotelli and his brother Enock tried to enter a women’s prison in Brescia to have a look around the premises, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, via GOAL.
"It was 1600 when we saw a high-powered Mercedes come through the gate. Inside were two boys, after a few minutes we realised one of them was Balotelli,” a prison officer from the Calogero Lo Presti prison explained. “They said they saw the gate opened and never imagined they would need a special permit to visit the prison. The two were particularly intrigued by the fact it was a women's prison."
Considering the often impulsive decision making from Balotelli and the fact the gate was reportedly left wide open, it would be very difficult to contradict the validity of this story.
Verdict: True
Shopping trip
The average person is sent out to the shops to buy bread, milk, butter, and when the rush is not too ridiculous, toilet roll. But when Balotelli was sent out to buy an iron and an ironing board from his Mum, legend says the Italian instead came back with a giant trampoline and a Scaletrix.
While Balotelli always appeared to be a wide-eyed child at heart, this story, sadly, is rather unverified, and therefore dubious in nature. Despite the fact the Italian hitman appears to have an impulsive tendency, his evident love and respect for his mother suggests he would not have the gumption to cheekily defy her in this way.
Of course, Balotelli could one day open up on this story and confirm its origins. But until that day, Mirror Football believes the story is more of a myth than a genuine story.
Verdict: False
Upsetting the Inter fans
Balotelli wore the shirts of both Inter Milan and AC Milan during his illustrious footballing career. However, Balotelli went on to Italian TV wearing the Rossoneri jersey, despite the fact he was still playing for Inter.
This would be like Harry Kane sporting an Arsenal shirt – nowadays of course, not when he was a child – while appearing on a television show. Fortunately for Balotelli, Inter went on to progress past Barcelona to reach the Champions League semi-final, taking the heat of the Italian in the process.
However, the dye was already cast and Balotelli was soon sold to Manchester City the following summer transfer window.
Verdict: True
Stopped with £25,000 in his car
While Balotelli was always a handful for opposition defenders, he was mainly keeping club officials on their toes – particularly the club valet. As well as racking up thousands of pounds in parking fine, the quick-witted Italian’s remarks to authority also left the Citizens tearing their hair out.
"Mario was pulled over by the police and he had £25,000 cash on the passenger seat,” the very same official who helped reclaim his car every time it got impounded said. “They asked him why and he said, 'Because I can'. He doesn't care much for authority."
Considering Italian’s gregarious personality and the fact that he was a young man earning £100,000 every week at City, Mirror Football are also convinced that this tall tale is of a factual nature.
Verdict: True
That darts incident
Despite all of Balotelli’s quirks, his ability to hit the target was almost unquestionable – unless the target were City youth players and he was hurling darts instead of footballs. Balotelli’s apparent hunger for controversy and chaos began to spiral out of control when he reportedly threw darts at City youth players from a window.
The Sun, via GOAL, understands the Italian decided to hurl the darts out of boredom from a window at the City training ground. While he is not believed to have hit the players with any, his mere attempt resulted in City fining him a week’s wages.
This was on top of a £200,000 fine he received for his costly sending off that Roberto Mancini claimed cost the club a place in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Verdict: True
