Mario Balotelli has always had a talent for getting on the nerves of those around him, whether it's fans, managers, opponents, or even his own teammates. There have been very few characters like him in football in recent years, capable of both delighting and frustrating anyone in equal measure.
Balotelli's reputation is accompanied by numerous unbelievable stories about him, making it hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Recently, a fascinating thread highlighting these anecdotes went viral.
It includes tales of him throwing darts at teammates out of boredom and the infamous story of fireworks being set off in the bathroom. Even Erling Haaland, when asked which former Manchester City player he would like to play alongside, expressed his desire to team up with Balotelli.
"I think I would have to say either [Vincent] Kompany, big legend,” Haaland said. "I think it would also be funny to play with [Mario] Balotelli. So, one of these two: Balotelli or Kompany would be really nice."
However, Erling Haaland should have been cautious about his wish, as former Inter Milan player Marco Materazzi has disclosed that he became so irritated with the striker during their time playing together at San Siro that he ended up giving him a 'beating.'
"I gave him a good beating, it's true. I love Mario, but he really deserved it that day," the World Cup winner explained on social media talking about Inter's Champions League tie with Barcelona in 2010."
"We've become friends again now, practically brothers, but he did something that day that he really should not have done. Throwing his shirt to the ground after the final whistle wasn't even the worst of it."
"Before the game, on the team bus, he told us: 'Today I'm going to play badly,' so I promised to make him pay if he did. When he came off the bench, he tried a shot from midfield rather than going on the counter. Diego Milito wanted to kill him."
"We believed in Mario, he scored many goals and contributed to the victory, but a week after that, I asked Mourinho to put me against Balotelli in the training ground games between ranks. After a few seconds, I'd sent him back to the dressing room."
