Usually within their careers high profile football players will be in the headlines a few times for non-football related reasons. They will be very embarrassed, apologise for whatever they did, and move on. It’s a rarity that a player will instead, make these sort of headlines almost every week. Italian and ex-Manchester City Footballer; Mario Balotelli is the outstanding exception. Here is his list of crazy.
Taken by themselves these incidents may not seem so funny, but within the context of Balotelli-world and such is the sheer frequency of these affairs, that WUWO Magazine thinks Balotelli is some sort of sensation. It must be said that most probably some of these rumours are fabrications by the media, or just out-right myths, but if only half of them are true, then he is undoubtedly the biggest character in world football. He was certainly the one to watch at Euro 2012 if you were looking for humour.
On Pitch Humour
Let’s start off with what we know is true because it’s happened on a pitch or in a stadium, in front of a bunch of cameras.
- He is a footballer that is allergic to grass and had to go off at half time in an international match due to a reaction to the pitch.
- Biblotelli – Balotelli’s on screen battle with a Bib, which lasted a lot longer than it should have for someone who can stand up-right.
- Balotelli brought an iPad to the bench during an International friendly.
- He had to be physically moved away from the penalty spot by teammate; Zanetti for refusing to let another fellow teammate; Samuel Eto’o take a penalty.
- Attempted a spectacularly unnecessary back heel shot when he was through on goal against LA Galaxy and missed.
- Italy were wearing their new home kit for the first time in an international match, when after half time, Balotelli came out, having for no apparent reason changed into the old kit. Meanwhile, nobody else on the pitch had changed kits.
- After the FA cup final, on live TV, Balotelli said “This season I have been sh*t. Can I say that?” He couldn’t.
- When scoring against Manchester United in the Manchester derby, he revealed a t-shirt under his kit that had the words “Why always me?” printed on it.
Relationship with Managers, Players and his Club
Any of the following would seriously damage a player’s future at their club, but he’s Balotelli, so his future is fine.
- Whilst signed to Manchester City, Balotelli made an unexpected appearance at Andrea Stramaccioni’s first press conference as Inter Milan manager. Balotelli casually entered the press room, before proceeding to the interviewee podium to shake Stramaccioni’s hand and the hands of others on the podium before leaving.
- Threw water balloons at a camera crew during a Serie A meeting.
- Has started fights with Kompany, Boateng and Tevez, all his fellow team mates at the time.
- Said only Lionel Messi (the often acclaimed, best player in the world) is “a little stronger” than him, and he is better than all other players.
- When he won the European Golden Boy trophy (an award given to a player who has excelled during a season and is under the age of 21), Balotelli said he had never heard of England international, Jack Wilshere and that he would find out who he was so he could remind Wilshere that he came second.
- His mad relationship with his now ex-manager Roberto Mancini, the manager claimed Balotelli would never play for their club (Manchester City) again, along with on pitch screaming, and that he would punch Balotelli everyday if they were team-mates. That’s naming only a few of their incidents.
- Went on TV wearing an AC Milan shirt with his name on the back while playing for local rival’s, Inter Milan and was frequently seen at the AC Milan superstore.
Off Pitch Antics
Imagine..like…living with him.
- Sent to John Lewis by his mother to buy some essentials for the house, so obviously he came back with a giant trampoline, Vespa Scooter and a Scalextric set.
- Has had his car impounded 27 times.
- Broke the ‘no touching rule’ at a strip club, and then proceeded to fight four bouncers, in the club.
- Saw the prostitute who had claimed to have slept with Wayne Rooney, so he started chanting “Rooney, Rooney!” at her.
- Spotted wearing a crazy chicken hat, on his way to the Manchester City changing room, completely straight faced.
- Went to a women’s prison with his younger brother, to have a look around, unaware you need special permission to visit this prison.
- Connections with the Neapolitan Mafia, and came into questioning by anti-mafia investigators.
- Set his own house on fire using fireworks and then days later became the face of a firework safety campaign.
- After setting his house on fire, he was living in a hotel, for the meantime. However, Balotelli returned to his house, to collect some of his belongings, only to have his neighbours call the police on him because they thought he was a burglar. So he was essentially almost arrested for entering his own house.
- Turned the beautifully landscaped back garden of his rented mansion into a quad bike race track.
- Adopted a stray cat which keeps coming along to Manchester City training sessions.
- Confronted a school bully, after finding out the bully was the reason a young Manchester City fan was playing truant.
Money Issues
Must be horrible having this much money…
- Was stopped by police whilst driving around a poor area in his Maserati with £25,000 cash on the passenger seat. When asked why he had such an obscene amount of money sitting next to him, he said, “because I’m rich.”
- Won £25,000 in a casino and then gave £1,000 to a tramp outside.
- Hands £20 and £50 notes out to strangers when in Manchester shopping centre.
- Received a £300,000 fine for playfully throwing darts at the youth team.
- Has over £10,000 worth of parking fines and doesn’t worry where to park when out and about, often stopping on double yellow lines.
- Walked into The John Rylands University Library (Manchester University) and offered to pay off all the student’s overdue library book fines.
- Broke Manchester City’s curfew to visit a curry house. No alcohol was consumed, he just ate a curry but that meal could see him fined a week’s wages, meaning the curry may have cost him £120,000.
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Oh and he is only 21, imagine how much longer this list will be in 15 years.
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