11 Funniest Players' Moments in Italy's "Serie A" on Video

Serie A in Italy: synonymous with tactical intelligence, the finest technical players in the world, mean defences and burgeoning youngsters from the home country and South America.

And, sometimes, a few moments of craziness.

Football's a funny old game, as the saying goes, and sometimes these players just get it into their head to have a moment's madness or an instant of fun.

Which we're all for, of course.

Here are the 11 funniest players in Italy, and their finest moments on video.

*P.S., as well as "funny" some of these are pure crazy, embarrassing, terrible or otherwise laughable!

AC Milan Players Singing

We kick off with an AC Milan quartet singing "Happy Birthday" to television channel Al-Jazeera.

Smooth Ghana international Kevin Prince-Boateng takes the lead vocals role, crooning into the microphone while Brazilian trio Robinho, Alexandre Pato and Thiago Silva, erm, beatbox the backing track.

Put this one in whichever category you wish, funny or embarrassing.

Gokhan Inler

The moment your club announces a new signing is always an exciting time, as fans get to dream of new glory, the final piece of the jigsaw and lavish millions spent on exotic sounding names.

Or, as seems to be the case in this Napoli announcement, that your club have signed a raving lunatic who dresses up as a lion on his first opportunity to be presented to the fans and media.

Gokhan Inler was eventually revealed when he displayed his customary number 88.

All of AC Milan and Bari

Warm-ups before the game are important. Stretching the muscles and getting focused on the game mentally, as well as physically, reduces the chances of injuries and makes sure players are prepared for kick-off.

So, what's the theory behind cartwheels, newspaper reading and other tomfoolery moments before kick-off?

AC Milan and Bari must know a secret...

*It wasn't actually players from either side, of course.*

Mario Balotelli

I don't know where to go with Mario Balotelli any more.

Fireworks, prison visits, grass allergies and now a randomly interrupted press conference of his former team.

Balotelli was already playing in England by the time he barged in on Inter Milan's new manager press conference, but of course plied his trade in Serie A previously.

Quite what the caretaker manager Andrea Stramaccioni thought about it all we might never know.

Mark Van Bommel

Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel isn't one player you'd generally associate with being funny, but here he seems to accept that someone has gotten away from him...by fair means at least.

So, instead, van Bommel decides to hitch a piggy-back from his adversary, dragging him to the ground and earning a yellow card for his troubles.

All smiles though.

Jose Mourinho

Former Serie A manager Jose Mourinho gets around doesn't he?

Here he is—pre-Inter Milan stint, actually—strangely out of place at a WWF match.

Mourinho seems to take the jibes in good spirits, in contrast to how he usually reacts in press conferences.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

There are few people in the world as self-confident as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The man's iron-clad assurance that he is the best in the world almost makes him more funny when he comes out with his quotes, because you know he fully means and believes them.

Here he is bigging himself up, deciding when training starts and generally denouncing himself as the No.1 man.

Much of the second part of the video is not in English—but the final 12 seconds are well worth a watch.

Joga bonito.

Antonio Di Natale

Mario Balotelli is involved in shenanigans again, this time with Udinese striker Antonio di Natale.

The two forwards gang up on fellow Italian attacker, Milan's Antonio Cassano, during training in Euro 2012.

A carefully-timed jape sees Cassano end up almost on the floor after a double trip from the two pranksters.

Rino Gattuso

Short and not particularly sweet, a "cheeky" moment from former AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who loses his shorts after landing following a challenge.

Mario Balotelli...Again

To be fair, there could probably be one of these entire lists dedicated solely to Mario Balotelli.

But the temptation to include another one of his, in particular this wrestle with a training bib, was just too much.

Go on Mario lad, show that bib who's boss.

AC Milan Fans

Technically not a player, but here are 1000 or so AC Milan fans who were duped, tricked and conned into missing their crucial Champions League tie against Real Madrid, in the name of work, love interests or other favours.

Some fantastic P.R. work by the company involved, and a happy—and funny—ending all around.