Italian footballer playing for Manchester City, Mario Balotelli, hasn’t had much chance to show his talent on the field, with recent weeks marred by on-pitch brawls and gossip of being thrown out of nightclubs and fighting with bouncers. England’s tabloid The Sun has been closely following the Balotelli City career in true tabloid style.

They’ve reported on the Balotelli Nike Footlocker ad (see it on YouTube), saying: “Although colourful Mario may struggle putting on a footie training bib, he can do a decent TV promo.” Then there was the piece on the Ferdinand-Balotelli bust-up due to Mario apparently teasing Manchester United fans after it lost the FA Cup semi final to City.

As Roberto Mancini says, “it’s always Mario fault” but the Italian player is certainly having a successful time on the publicity front (if you agree with the notion that no publicity is bad publicity). But one moment of generosity in a sea of money and sordid gossip was reported by the Sun as Balotelli apparently won £25,000 at the casino, and the promptly gave 1000 of it to a homeless person.

Continue reading: Mario Balotelli Nike Footlocker ad and 1000 pounds to homeless

Mario Balotelli’s extraordinary talent seems to have spent less time on the field of English football than his difficult personality has in their tabloid papers. And it’s not just football controversy that is plaguing the Italian player, but his other extra-curricular activities which have even gotten fellow Italian and Manchester City coach, Roberto Mancini, offside.

So when he can, Mario Balotelli escapes to Milan, where he was recently spotted with former Miss Italy contestant, Sara Galimerti. The two apparently “met” on Facebook and then spent a night dining and dancing together. Galimerti participated in the 2009 Miss Italy contest as Miss Lombardy and follows hot on the heels of another Sara: the now famous Sara Tommasi - Balotelli’s “ex-girlfriend” and current Italian showgirl.

Source | Gossipblog.it

Italian footballer Mario Balotelli is a real womanizer, breaking hearts wherever he goes! The Italian striker was officially dating Big Brother 10 winner Sophie Reade, but the blonde Playboy model quickly found out that he was also seeing (on the side) her best friend, so she gave vent to her anger on Twitter: “Would like to let everyone know @FayeEvette is a s*** and slept with the guy I was seeing! What a friend and welcome 2011.” She added: “Mario Balotelli is a ****er!!”

Source | The Sun

Currently one of Italy’s most controversial exports, Mario Balotelli is showing his brilliance at Manchester City with two goals in his last match, handing the troubled team and its coach, Roberto Mancini, a win. Balotelli also got himself a red card and a three match suspension in the meantime, seemingly proving that everytime he scores a goal, he’ll have to spend some time on the bench, too.

Balotelli will skip his local Manchester derby today because of the suspension, and no doubt he will also be watching the fortunes of his old team, FC Internazionale, at it faces its own derby with AC Milan this weekend. The parallel stories are keeping many Italians highly interested and amused.

On the one hand, our Italians overseas - Balotelli and Mancini - are showing their genius and weaknesses at various intervals as Mancini battles to keep a job after leaving FC Inter in controversial circumstances to move to England’s premier league; and Balotelli needing to justify the expenditure on him despite having spent a large part of the opening of the season on the bench (among some off-field antics that no good footballer would pass up these days).

In the meantime back at Italian football, the ex-club of our expatriates has plenty of work to do after an unbelievable season last year in which they won everything there was to be won, has since turned into a scrappy start to 2010 with bad performances, injuries and a general lack of inspiration. So far we think Balotelli and Mancini will come off better than Inter in the end, but there’s a long way to go yet.

Italian footballer and new Manchester City player Mario Balotelli has been enjoying himself in hospital, but now comes the bad news that he could be out for longer than anticipated, missing tonight’s first Champion’s League match. Balotelli was part of the winning team of FC Inter last year, carrying the flag for Italian football, and before injuring his knee in his first Premier League match managed to score a goal, thus justifying the 23 million euros City payed to FC Internazionale for the player.

Balotelli has proved himself quite a character since moving to Manchester City and is making up for his clamorous exclusion from Italy’s national side in the 2010 World Cup. These photos show him enjoying the attention prior to his knee operation by appearing at the window of the Pavia hospital with shower cap on before then sticking his tongue out at photographers.

And frankly, we’re all lapping it up. It’s a shame that he will be out for longer than expected as we were curious to see how Italy’s latest export and famous celebrity would continue his story overseas, post FC Inter. He will be back, though, and will likely provide us with more golden moments of “I’m rich”. More after the jump on AC Milan and big money for Balotelli.

Continue reading: Mario Balotelli on the bench in a shower cap as AC Milan loses big time

Italian football player gone to Manchester City, Mario Balotelli, is making a name for himself in his new home town, more off the field than on, it seems. We’ll get to his operation on his injury later, but when he and his Audi R8 were involved in an accident, the police turned up to find the Italian star with 6,000 euros in his pocket (or do they mean pounds?).

The accident was relatively innocuous, with Balotelli coming out all in one piece, but the question from the police was more about the large amount of cash to be found on the former FC Internazionale player. Balotelli’s response was apparently one of the most elementary: “Because I’m rich.”

Source | Mirror

After being left without petrol on his victory lap at the Qatar MotoGP, Valentino Rossi was paid a visit by Italian television’s satirical show, Le Iene, who left him with a voucher for five euros of petrol. Not content with just this gesture, however, the show also took the opportunity to ask him a couple of other questions. Like who the most annoying rider in the MotoGP is.

No prizes for guessing that would be Casey Stoner, but Rossi also discussed some current Italian football problems close to his heart. His team, FC Inter, is struggling in the championship, having just been overtaken by Roma in the points ranking, but he is focussing on Internazionale’s campaign in the Champion’s League, saying it’s more important.

In the meantime, Rossi has also left his advice regarding Italy’s strikers for the 2010 World Cup, putting Cassano, Balotelli and Miccoli up front. When he knocks off from racing, we’re thinking sidekick to Italy’s national football coach wouldn’t be a bad job for the world MotoGP champion.

Source | Motoblog.it