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Thanks to his imminent £16m switch to Liverpool, Mario Balotelli is about to come back under the remit of us English journalists.
During his three seasons at Manchester City he was rarely out of the headlines, and to be fair, even during his 18 month return to Milan a few tales made their way over to England.
But with more tabloid stories than he's scored goals, you may well have missed some of them. So we've collated together the Balotelli tales:
The Bullies
When a youngster asked for an autograph outside Manchester City's training ground, Balotelli demanded to know why the boy was playing truant. After the child revealed he was being bullied, Balotelli drove the boy and his mother to the school in question so he could tackle the bully himself. He demanded to see the headmaster to make him aware of the issue and then mediated between the two boys to resolve the problem. A source said: 'Mario feels strongly about bullying.' Click here for the full story.
Via Metro
Generosity
After gambling at Manchester's 235 Casino, Balotelli walked away with winnings of £25,000. Feeling generous, he gave a homeless man 'with ginger dreadlocks and a beard' £1,000.
Via Metro
Parking Fines
During his time in Manchester, Balotelli racked up £10,000 in parking fines and had his white Maserati impounded 27 times. Once he was pulled over by the police who wanted to enquire why he had £5,000 in cash on his front seat. Balotelli reorted: 'Because I am rich.'
Via Daily Mail
Bored
Balotelli was 'bored', so threw darts at Manchester City youth team players to pass the time.
Via Goal.com
Chicken
For reasons never fully explained, Balotelli once sported a chicken hat. Thankfully it was a trend that never caught on.
Via MEN
The Queen
The Queen may be wary of Balotelli's return to England. During the World Cup, he said he wanted a kiss from Her Royal Highness should Italy do England a favour by beating Costa Rica. Thankfully for everyone involved, they didn't.
Interruptions
During an Inter Milan press conference to announce the appointment of Andrea Stramaccioni as interim-manager, Balotelli interrupted proceedings to say hello. He was enjoying a day-off from Manchester City at the time.
Prison
Balotelli was reportedly questioned by police in Italy when he was found taking a look around the grounds of a women's prison in Brescia. Apparently he simply fancied having a look.
Via Goal.com
Shopping
Balotelli is known to enjoy a spot of shopping - however he doesn't always get what's on the list. He was reportedly sent by his mum to pick up a few household items before returning with a giant trampoline, two Vespa scooters and a Scalextric set.
Via The Sun
More: This is what Brendan Rodgers said about Mario Balotelli three weeks ago
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