Mario Balotelli had a close call while on club duty, nearly choking on what he thought was tomato ketchup but turned out to be fiery harissa sauce.
The incident, shared by his former teammate Florian Thauvin, occurred during a pre-match training camp at Marseille in 2019.
Thauvin recounted the hilarious mishap, explaining how Balotelli, being Italian, mistook the harissa for tomato sauce and generously coated his pasta with it.
“Us other players looked at one another, and thought: ‘That’s hot stuff – and he’s taken a lot of it.”
“We thought he knew what he was doing. We didn’t know him, so we felt he knew and that there was no problem.”
Teammates of Mario Balotelli watched in amusement, wondering what he had taken
The rest of the players, unaware of his mistake, watched in amusement as Mario Balotelli struggled with the intense heat of the condiment.
“Mario began to eat, but within five minutes he was weeping and the sweat was pouring down his face.
“All the players wished him welcome to the club. We were crying with laughter – it was exceptional.”
THE JOURNEYMAN
Balotelli, known for his colorful career spanning various European leagues, rose to prominence at a young age before joining Inter Milan in 2007.
Balotelli appeared 59 times for the Nerazzurri, finding the back of the net 20 times.
He then made the switch to English side Manchester City in 2010, making a total of 54 appearances, scoring 20 goals, and also playing a pivotal role in securing their first Premier League title.
He was known for his Famous “WHY ALWAYS ME” goal celebration at the Etihad, especially when he scored against bitter rivals Manchester United.
Balotelli spent 4 seasons at the blue side of Manchester before returning to Italy to join AC Milan, playing only one season at Milan where he was prolific scoring 26 times in 43 matches.
He had a brief stint at Liverpool in 2016. His performance at the club was underwhelming as he scored 4 goals in 28 matches for the Reds.
Mario Balotelli has also showcased his talent at clubs like Nice, Brescia, Monza, and Swiss side Sion.
Currently, Balotelli plies his trade in Turkey with Adana Demirspor, where he has netted seven goals in eleven appearances.
Throughout his career, he has earned 36 caps for the Italian national team, scoring 17 goals.
Mario Balotelli’s journey has been marked by both on-field prowess and off-field antics, making him a fascinating figure in the world of football.
