This week saw Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli move to AC Milan for a reported £19 Million and in true Balotelli style; he didn’t leave without making a bit of noise.
Famous for his footballing abilities and his weird and wonderful behaviour, Super Mario praised his Manchester City teammates, fans and the Premier League upon exit but wasn’t shy in telling the Italian press what he disliked about his time in England.
“I have to say thanks to all the City fans because they’ve been very nice to me and they always supported me in the good and in the bad moments,” he said. “And I have to thank my team-mates and the manager. Everything else, I’m happy that I left England. Good things – only when I get to Carrington to train. So my team-mates and manager. And the bad things? Everything else The press, first. The weather. The food. The way you drive. That’s it.”
Mario Balotelli came to England in August 2010 and made his mark just five days after he arrived by crashing his Audi R8 on the way to the training ground with a reported £5,000 in cash on the passenger’s seat. From then on, Mario became no stranger to the English press. Being as tall, strong and skillful as he is, Mario is a delightful footballer to watch and became an asset to Roberto Mancini’s team but his private life overshadowed his talent and he became famous for his weird and sometimes wonderful antics.
In March 2011, he was spoken to by club officials for throwing darts at youth team players and in October 2011, he set his bathroom on fire whilst throwing fireworks out of his window. The following day Mario scored two goals in a 6-1 win over rivals Manchester United and revealed a T-shirt that said “Why Always Me” during his goal celebration.
More recently, he was photographed ignoring training exercises with his Italy teammates prior to their game against England in the 2012 Euros and there has been a report of a series of bust ups between him and his Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini
We have seen Mario Balotelli go through many ups and downs throughout his time in England and it will be interesting to see how he progresses through the ranks as an AC Milan player as he is still young with lots to learn but he also has a lot to give. His talent and charisma will be missed by the Premier League.