31st January, 2013
There is no sign of a let-up in Mario Balotelli’s chaotic life as Milan fans celebrated his transfer with a clash with riot police.
An ecstatic crowd turned up to greet the outgoing Manchester City striker at a restaurant where he was due to dine with officials from his new club.
Video footage shows the 22-year-old – wearing a garish orange baseball cap and AC Milan scarf – jumping up and down with fans outside the city’s Giannino restaurant.
But later on police used tear gas to disperse a group of fans who let off flares and pelted officers with bottles and chairs.
One police officer was taken to hospital with head injuries sustained during the rioting, according to reports.
An Italian sports journalist Tancredi Palmeri tweeted about the clashes. ‘Police charging several hundreds of Milan fans outside restaurant where Balotelli was, need to use teargas,’ he wrote.
He later added: ‘Few policemen hospitalised (none serious) after the clashes between Milan fans and police outside the restaurant where Balotelli is.’
In a test of loyalty, the Ultras chanted ‘He who doesn’t jump is nerazzurro (an Inter Milan fan)’ while setting off fireworks – both Balotelli and Galliani jumped.
It capped a typically chaotic day for Balotelli, who was greeted by a frenzied crowd when he arrived at hospital in Busto Arsizio for his medical.
The car carrying him was forced to drive through the throng to a different entrance.
After leaving hospital three-and-a-half hours later, Balotelli went straight off to the city centre restaurant – where his welcome was a little more lively than envisaged.
Balotelli is in Milan to finalise a transfer worth an initial 22m euro (£19m) and has been swamped by fans and photographers since his arrival at the city’s Malpensa airport.
Shortly after arriving he told the Milan channel: “I’d wanted to play for Milan for such a long time.
“Obviously I played for other teams and couldn’t come. But when there was a chance, I ran.”
There had been doubt over the viability of the deal earlier in January after Milan president Silvio Berlusconi branded Balotelli a “rotten apple”.
Fans flank soccer player Mario Balotelli Balotelli has been mobbed since arriving in Milan to complete his transfer
But the remark was retracted and did not seem to be an issue as the player took the call from the scandal-plagued politician during his medical.
AC Milan’s vice-president Adriano Galliani said: “It is a dream come true and something that we all wanted, with the President Silvio Berlusconi at the forefront.”
Balotelli scored 30 goals in 80 appearances for Manchester City, but will be equally well-remembered for his four red cards, clashes with team-mates and a series of bizarre off-field mishaps.