Mario Balotelli notches up almost £100k in parking fines

Mario Balotelli notches up almost £100k in parking fines

 

• Striker has had to pay out £300,000 in club fines, most recently for throwing darts at a youth team player

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has racked up nearly £10,000 in parking fines and had his white Maserati impounded an astonishing 27 times, it has emerged.

The £100,000-a-week Italian player's attitude to the city's parking regulations has left his club's liaison officers exasperated - especially as each time the car is towed away, they have to go and get it back.

A source at the club told The Sun newspaper: 'Mario will drive from his luxury apartment to a restaurant a few streets away and leave the car on double yellows.

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has racked up nearly £10,000 in parking fines and had his white Maserati impounded an astonishing 27 times, it has emerged.

Another day, another ticket: Balotelli's Maserati gets a ticket outside a restaurant in Manchester city centre

'The other week the Maserati misfired so he just abandoned it. Staff have had to bail it out 27 times.

'The valet the club uses empties the glovebox of tickets every time he cleans it. Mario doesn't seem to care. It's a drop in the ocean to him.'

Balotelli's remarkable attitude to money was further highlighted in the report which stated he was once allegedly pulled over by police with £25,000 in cash on his passenger seat.

When asked why he had the money he simply said 'Because I can'.

Balotelli has also had to pay out £300,000 in club fines, most recently for throwing darts at a youth team player.

And on the field he has had ten yellow cards and two reds in just 24 appearances.

He is also said to have a generous side and gives money to the homeless around Manchester. In the latest act of kindness, The Sun reported he gave £1,000 to a tramp outside a casino after securing a £25,000 win.

Big signing: Balotelli, seen here with manager Roberto Mancini, was snapped up by Manchester City for a cool £22.5million

The footballer was also accused of cheating on model and former Big Brother contestant Sophie Reade (pictured) with her best friend, another glamour girl named Faye Evette

His private life is just as colourful. Last August he ended his relationship with model girlfriend Melissa Castagnoli by text message.

But she got her revenge by reading the messages out live on air.

The two texts Castagnoli received from Balotelli read: 'I’m back (Balotelli had caught a private jet from Manchester to Italy) to make you change, but never mind, you’re sunk. Everything is against you tomorrow, bye!'

'You‘re a stupid girl, the real problem is not a child, but stupid! Say hello to the (presenter), which is good for you! Um, OK.'

He was also accused of cheating on model and former Big Brother contestant Sophie Reade with her best friend, another glamour girl named Faye Evette.

Reade, 25, then used as series of posts on her Twitter page to attack both her friend and Balotelli.

One of which read: 'Would like to let everyone know @FayeEvette is a s*** and slept with the guy I was seeing! What a friend and welcome 2011. Mario Balotelli is a ****er!!'