Mario Balotelli sold fleet of supercars including Ferrari and Lamborghini after crashes and losing passion
MARIO BALOTELLI loved getting into trouble in his fancy Italian Ferrari – before falling out of love with his £1million car collection.
The former Manchester City bad-boy became known for his love of supercars before several high profile crashes.
The notorious striker – currently playing in his native Italy for Genoa – had enough of his collection and cleaned his garage out.
He told Blick in 2023: “In my garage I still have an RSQ8, 500 Abarth and GTR Nismo Nissan with 1400 hp. But I’m also selling the Abarth now.”
Balotelli, 34, is no stranger to controversy on and off the pitch but he has also got into bother on the road.
He was lucky to escape serious injury after crashing his £100,000 Audi Q8 into a wall in his hometown of Brescia, Italy in November 2023.
Balotelli has had his car impounded a staggering 27 times, and was involved in a number of accidents during his time on our Isles.
While with City in 2012, he crashed his Bentley in Manchester city centre, which reportedly saw his female passenger sent to hospital.
That came two years after colliding with another car while driving his Audi A8 in Chester Road, Hulme.
Balotelli also famously crashed his late agent Mino Raiola’s car after reversing into a lamppost while with Nice in France.
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The Italian forward’s bad luck on the road continued in 2020 when he was involved in a car accident at 6am on New Year’s Day.
This time, Balotelli was on the passenger side of the silver Fiat 500 Abarth that banged into the gate of a bakery in northern Brescia.
He said: “I had two or three accidents in England. I crashed into one once because someone in front of me braked out of nowhere.
“And one drove into me and then they said I caused the accident.”
Balotelli joined Serie A side Genoa last October after spells in Turkey and Switzerland.
But he has reportedly entered a fresh spat with new manager Patrick Vieira.
The forward – who has missed the majority of the last two months nursing a broken hand – has threatened to become a “rebel” after feeling frozen out of the squad by Arsenal legend Vieira.
He took to Instagram last week to seemingly voice his frustration with a cryptic post.
Standing shirtless in the Genoa dressing room, Balotelli wrote: “Around here they deserve the rebellious 16-year-old Mario.
“Maybe that way they would understand what it means to truly lack respect.”
Balotelli was renowned for his hell-raising antics early in his career.
He infamously let off fireworks in his flat while playing for City.
And memorably unearthed a “Why Always Me” T-shirt in his old club’s 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United in the derby in 2011.
The wild child also fought with teammates and threw darts at a youth team star.
Various City managers felt they could tame the talented Italian forward.
But since leaving the North West in 2013, the former Italy international has rocked up at nine different clubs.