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It's an open secret that Mario Balotelli is no stranger to controversy. The striker attracts trouble wherever he goes and is more famous for his involvement in controversies than his work on the pitch.
Having graced several clubs across world football, the Balotelli is back in Serie A with Brescia, and it's safe to say his career has not gone as planned.
The Italian has also uttered some hilarious and sometimes deep quotes over the years. Keeping that in mind, let's take a look at a few Mario Balotelli quotes.
7. On Gerard Pique
"I will invite Shakira to the final, so she can see what I do to her boyfriend (Gerard Pique)"
Balotelli uttered this hilarious quote before the Euro 2012 finals. He claimed he would run rings around Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique right under his girlfriend, Shakira's nose.
Of course, Pique and Spain had other plans and put four goals past Italy retaining their Euro trophy in the process.
6. On Jack Wilshere
"Jack who? No, I don’t know him but the next time I play against Arsenal I will keep a close eye on him. Perhaps I can show him the Golden Boy trophy and remind him that I won it.’
Balotelli, who won the Golden Boy Award in 2010, was asked for his opinion on Jack Wilshere, who finished as the runner up.
The Italian claimed that he hadn't even heard of the former Arsenal wonderboy, but the next time he played the Gunners, he vowed to show Wilshere the trophy to remind him that he came second. Talk about rubbing something in.
5. On Messi
“There’s only one that is a little stronger than me: Messi. All the others are behind me.”
Mario once claimed to be one of the best players in the world, second only to the great Lionel Messi. While Mario could become one of the best strikers in the world in a few years, he should realize that he isn't even close to Messi right now.
4. On Wayne Rooney
“He’s good, but he is not the best in Manchester”
Mario uttered this quote during his time at Manchester City after a reporter asked him what he thought of City's crosstown rivals Manchester United's talisman Rooney, who he thought wasn't the best striker in the City. Of course, Rooney's fabulous overhead kick against City must have cause Mario to eat his words.
3. On his roots
"Inside me I'm Ghanaian, and I'm proud to be African. But of course I'm Italian. I was born in Italy. I've never been to Africa in my life, but I will go one day."
Despite being born and bred in Italy, Balotelli has never forgotten his roots, which is commendable.
2. On his mother
“For me, my mother is everything.”
This quote by the striker is genuinely touching. Balotelli's adoptive parents, especially his mother, mean the world to him and dedicated his brilliant performance against Germany in Euro 2012 to his mum.
1. On haters
“You speak bad of me, I score goals.”
When Balotelli first made his debut for Inter in Italy, he received a hostile reception, which included Bananas being thrown at him. However, that did not break him, and he kept on scoring goals for Inter, becoming an integral part of the team in the process.
