Recounting AC Milan Star Mario Balotelli's Greatest Quotes

AC Milan star forward Mario Balotelli is a sucker for producing some of football's greatest quotes.

He isn't an outspoken fellow, but when he does talk, Balotelli often grabs intense media attention. The youngster has shown a tremendous amount of self-confidence and assertion across a career that is already filled with memorable gaffs.

As the Serie A season draws to an end, it's only right we take a look at the forward's best selection of soundbites from a tempestuous few years in professional football. 

Balotelli Won't Be Seeing Fanny Any Time Soon

Mario Balotelli has it all. Footballing ability, wads of cash and a Belgian model girlfriend. He also possesses extreme confidence.

So much confidence, in fact, that he risked the wrath of Fanny Neguesha by offering her up to the Real Madrid team as a prize for overturning the 4-1 Champions League semifinal first leg scoreline against Borussia Dortmund.

Spanish newspapers such as AS and Marca reported Balotelli as saying (via The Daily Mail), "If Real Madrid come back in Champions League, I'll let my girlfriend sleep with them!"

While Real Madrid didn't come back, neither did Balotelli's girlfriend. Just days after the quote was published, Milan's infamous individual reentered the realm of the single man after Neguesha ended their seven-month love affair (via The Daily Mail).

Balotelli, Berlusconi and Cassano: What Could Ever Go Wrong?

Silvio Berlusconi is the kind of man who changes his opinions on a regular basis. Upon signing Antonio Cassano, the former Italian prime minister hailed the troublesome forward as one of the greatest talents in Italian football (via Goal.com).

Balotelli caught wind of this and presumed the politician had never heard of a striker he would later come to sign (via AskMen); “Silvio Berlusconi says he (Antonio Cassano) is the best Italian talent. He’s wrong or he doesn’t know Balotelli.”

Of course, Berlusconi soon sold Cassano to Inter and warned Milan's city rivals they will regret dropping money on a player who has never reached his full potential (via Football Italia).

Perhaps Balotelli was right after all? The former Manchester City player was labelled a "bad apple" by Berlusconi before he sanctioned a move to rescue him from wasting away on the Etihad bench (via The Times).

Mo' Money...

You know what it's like. You're casually carrying £5,000 in the back seat of your super car, minding your own business before plowing the machine into another vehicle that somehow got in your way.

That £5,000 is for charity, right? Perhaps you're about to celebrate your move to Manchester City with a party for all of your new teammates? Maybe the money is there just because.

When asked why Balotelli stashed so much dosh in his newly crumpled car, his answer needed no elaborate backstory.

Why are you carrying that, sir?

"Because I am rich" (via The Daily Mirror).

Fair enough.

It's What's on the Inside That Counts

Occasionally brilliant and so often disappointing at Manchester City, Balotelli's resistance against positive emotion on the pitch could be analysed as a lack of heart from the young striker.

Although this syndrome is officially recognised as Dimitarberbatovitis, Balotelli wasn't being miserable at all. In fact, support from the City crowd left him feeling rather content (via AskMen):

"I want City’s supporters to know this: When I heard them chant my name it gave me a really warm feeling inside. Sometimes I don’t smile outwardly but I am smiling inside."

City fans probably want Balotelli to know that, when he failed to pick his legs up in front of the home crowd, the warm feeling wasn't mutual.

I Am Mario

In true Zlatan Ibrahimovic style, Mario Balotelli once claimed Lionel Messi is the only player stronger than him (via The Guardian).

Messi is the winner of an unprecedented four Ballon d'Ors. His 54 goals this season will go a long way to making that five. Although Balotelli has enjoyed something of a rejuvenation since joining Milan, it's not improbable to think the 22-year-old once believed this claim from December 2010:

"There's only one that is a little stronger than me: Messi. All the others are behind me."

Who knows, maybe one day this might even be true.

What are your favourite Mario Balotelli quotes? Let me know in the comments section and be sure to follow me on Twitter right here:

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All statistics in this article are courtesy of WhoScored.