The Fantabulous Adventures of Mario Balotelli

[Colly]

Never combine all three Mario. Possibly a fitting end but I'd miss him.

[Lineker]

Mario Balotelli has been dropped by Italy coach Cesare Prandelli for his "agitated" behaviour on the pitch.

The Manchester City striker has been replaced by Roma's Fabio Borini, 20, for Wednesday's friendly against the United States in Genoa.

Balotelli was banned for four matches after a stamp on Tottenham's Scott Parker in January.

Prandelli said: "I don't want players who commit reaction fouls and get sent off. He seems a little agitated to me."

Balotelli has been sent-off three times since joining City for £24m from Inter Milan in August 2010 and was punished retrospectively for his stamp on Parker.

Prandelli added: "When I say we have to reach the European Championship prepared, I mean I don't want to see players who, at the first sign of difficulty, commit reaction fouls and get sent off, leaving their team-mates to struggle with 10 men."

Balotelli has scored 13 goals in 25 appearances for the Premier League leaders, including one in their 3-0 win over Blackburn on Saturday.

Cue retaliation in three....two...

[Colly]

Boooooooo!

[Gazz]

Mario for England!

[Adam]

Fabio Borini? Isn't he the youngster who was on loan at Swansea last season? How did he end up at Roma and an Italy international already?

[METALMAN]

He's scoring all the time now. He's amazing!

[Blaze09]

DAMMMMMNNN YOOOUUUUU!!!!!!

[stokeriño]

Fabio Borini? Isn't he the youngster who was on loan at Swansea last season? How did he end up at Roma and an Italy international already?

Because Chelsea never played him, let his contract expire, and Roma snapped him up.

He's scoring all the time now. He's amazing!

This is basically the familiar outcome of the above.

[Adam]

I'm sure I read that he was off to Parma at the end of last season so I thought we'll either never hear from him again or he'll return in a few years when he's more experienced. 9 months was quicker than I expected.

[METALMAN]

I think he initlally went to Parma and Roma on one of those weird coownership deals, but now he is 100% Roma.

[Lineker]

Mario spotted outside strip club:

LADOTELLI.

[DavidMarrio]

Just clocked on that's the strip club in town

[Lineker]

Footballer Mario Balotelli was asked to leave Manchester's Trafford Centre after refusing to pull down the hood of his top, staff have confirmed.

Manchester City's Italian striker was approached by security staff on Monday and told he would be ejected if he did not remove his hood.

Balotelli, 21, who was out shopping with a friend, decided he would prefer to leave rather than remove it.

The shopping centre said it asked all customers to remove hoods.

A Trafford Centre spokesperson said: "At 21:02 GMT a customer was approached by security staff and advised that wearing a hooded top covering the head is against centre policy.

"The customer was Italian and native Italian-speaking staff were dispatched to converse with the customer."

It is understood the striker is a regular visitor to the shopping centre and wanted to keep his hood up to avoid drawing attention from supporters.

Balotelli was said to have been polite and friendly throughout the encounter and shook hands with staff before leaving.

The Trafford Centre said its policy of asking customers to remove hoods enabled security staff to recognise known criminals and track their movements on CCTV.

In October last year firefighters were called to Balotelli's Cheshire home after an explosive set alight his bathroom.

That month Balotelli made reference to various controversial incidents he has been involved in since joining City in August 2010 when he scored the opening goal during a Manchester derby game at Old Trafford.

The striker, who was signed in a reported £24m deal from Inter Milan, lifted his shirt to reveal a T-shirt bearing the slogan "Why always me?".

[Colly]

Thats barely a story if you ask me. Ludicrously recognisable footballer goes shopping with hood up, leaves.

[Sam]

Mario Balotelli gatecrashes Inter Milan press conference

Manchester City's Mario Balotelli has gatecrashed new Inter Milan boss Andrea Stramaccioni's first press conference during a surprise visit to his ex-club.

The 21-year-old striker unexpectedly walked in, to laughter from the crowd, and shook hands with Stramaccioni, who exclaimed: "What a surprise!" Balotelli had driven to the Serie A club's training ground in a Ferrari to greet his former team-mates. Stramaccioni took over when Claudio Ranieri was sacked on Monday. Balotelli entered the press room as Stramaccioni was being formally unveiled as Inter's new manager. The striker shook his hand and those of other people at the top table before leaving, continuing his reputation for unpredictable antics.

Balotelli knows Stramaccioni, who has been promoted from youth team coach, from his time at the club.Stramaccioni led the youth side to a win over Ajax in the NextGen Series final - an international tournament for youth teams - on Sunday. Inter Milan dismissed former Chelsea boss Ranieri, who took charge at the San Siro in September last year, after only one win in their last 10 league matches. Following Sunday's defeat by Juventus, Inter sit eighth in Serie A, 22 points behind their local rivals AC Milan, who top the table. Inter were also knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Marseille earlier this month.

He's at it again!

[GoGo Yubari]

[Lineker]

Mario caught red-handed!

[maninblack]

That shouldn't even be news if you're a guy >.>

Unless it's goat porn.

[MDK]

It's news because he was buying real copies and not streaming it on his computer.

[Lineker]

Mario Balotelli says he has "no intention of leaving" Manchester City this summer.

Manager Roberto Mancini admitted he could be ready to sell the controversial Italian striker after his sending off against Arsenal.

Mancini has since backtracked but warned Balotelli he must change his ways if he is to remain at the club.

"My future? I'm under contract at City and I have no intention of changing shirt," the 21-year-old striker said.

While City have no intention of actively pursuing a sale of the player, BBC Sport understands the club would be prepared to listen to serious offers for Balotelli this summer.

The Italy international has been linked with a return to his homeland, with both Inter and AC Milan known to be monitoring the striker.

However, Balotelli believes his experience in England is helping him to mature. He has scored 17 goals in 31 club appearances this season, but has been sent off twice.

"I am only thinking about winning the title at the moment," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Why do you always talk of Inter and Milan for me?"

"I don't have nostalgia for Italy. The Premier League is an experience that is serving me very well. When I was at Inter Milan I called my mother to solve every little problem. Now I have to go it alone. "

Mancini's relationship with Balotelli has been a source of tension this season.

The City manager joked that would have punched his striker every day if they were team-mates , but Balotelli insists he is lucky to work with his compatriot who signed him from Inter Milan for £24m in August 2010.

"I still have to improve, especially as a footballer," he told the newspaper. "Above all my behaviour on the pitch, but also tactically. I have the fortune to be working with [Roberto] Mancini, one of the best managers in the world, if not the best.

"Things are going well between us.

"After my red card against Arsenal he feared a long ban so he spoke about me with such harsh words.

"But we have explained things to each other. I know that he believes in me.

"After my last sending off he feared a big suspension, so he spoke in such harsh terms [that Balotelli may not play again this season]. But we have sorted things out — I know that he believes in me."

Carlos Tevez has also made headlines for the wrong reasons this season, but Balotelli says the Argentina striker has become a role model for him.

"When I arrived here [in the summer of 2010 from Inter] I trained to have fun," he said. "But from him I have learnt to always give everything, every day. Carlitos is very special and as such we can say that he is very similar to Ibra [AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic]."