‘Little brother’ Mario Balotelli chased me around my house and set off fireworks in my kitchen, admits Micah Richards

MARIO BALOTELLI chased Micah Richards around the defender’s house and then set off fireworks in his kitchen in the latest bonkers story about the crazy striker. The former England right-back played with the maverick Italian for three years at Manchester City between 2010 and 2013. And the pair formed a close bond, with Richards taking […]

MARIO BALOTELLI chased Micah Richards around the defender’s house and then set off fireworks in his kitchen in the latest bonkers story about the crazy striker.

The former England right-back played with the maverick Italian for three years at Manchester City between 2010 and 2013.

Mark Robinson - The Sun

Fotosports International

And the pair formed a close bond, with Richards taking the ex-Inter Milan man under his wing and trying to keep a lid on his unpredictable antics.

But one day at Richards’ pad, it proved impossible.

Speaking to the FIFA Challenge with BT Sport, Richards revealed another brilliant Balotelli tale.

He said: “He was like my soul-mate, he was like my younger brother.

“He used to love attention. He used to come over to my house… everyone knows the story of the fireworks in his house.

“But he actually set fireworks off in my house! Chasing me round my house, what are you doing!

“But I love him. I still speak to him, make sure he’s alright. Top, top guy.”

Balotelli – who won the FA Cup and Premier League under Roberto Mancini during his time at Manchester City – famously gave himself his very own firework display… in his bathroom less than 48 hours before the Manchester derby at Old Trafford in October 2011.

He claimed he was not even at the property after firefighters came to the rescue to put out the flames of a “substantial” blaze.

He suffered no aftershocks, though, as he scored twice in the incredible 6-1 win, revealing his ‘Why Always Me?’ t-shirt after netting the first.

It was just one of many utterly bonkers stories involving the 36-cap Italy international, now playing for Brescia in Serie A, alongside throwing a dart at youth-team player, scrapping with Mancini, his ongoing battles with training bibs and the rumour he once dressed up as Santa Claus, handing out money to the people of Manchester.

Balotelli moved back to Italy in 2013 but returned to England just a year later when he signed for Liverpool for an ill-fated spell.

Since leaving the Premier League, though, he has hardly gone off the radar.

In August 2018 Super Mario nearly cracked his head open in a swimming pool after flying off the end of a slide.

The October before he rode a mini-motorbike round in a training ground race.

Two months prior to that he was fined after being caught driving his Ferrari at up to 125mph in a road race against a friend’s Lamborghini.

Last summer he was alleged to have paid a bar owner £1,800 to drive a moped into the sea in just his underwear.

And most recently, Balotelli got into a spat with Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, who described the hot-headed striker as a “negative person” who “really did deserve a slap” for his antics at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Never one to shy away from controversy, Balotelli refused to be walked over and was quick to have his say, blasting Chiellini for his alleged cowardice.

The Brescia forward, 29, replied: “At least I have the sincerity and the courage to say things in the face.

“Since 2013 you would have had many opportunities to do it, behaving like a real man, but you have not done it and if this means being a champion, then I prefer not be.”