Former teammate claims Balotelli urinated on players' boots

AC Milan's Mario Balotelli watches from the stands at the end of a Serie A match between AC Milan and Bologna. Photo / AP

Former Inter Milan midfielder Kerlon has revealed that team-mate Mario Balotelli used to urinate on his fellow players' boots.

The somewhat bizarre account of Balotelli's behaviour in the dressing room at Inter was revealed by Kerlon in an interview in which he said he'd never met someone so 'extraordinary' and who didn't feel sorry for pulling such a prank.

The two were with each other at Inter for two years from 2008 to 2010.

'Balotelli is a very nice guy and an extraordinary person, but he did some unbelievable things off the pitch,' Kerlon told ESPN Brazil.

'He had a habit of arriving at training before anyone else and peeing on all the players' boots ... it was very funny.

'I've never seen a kid of 18 years do it, and no feel sorry for any of it, even to Julio Cesar and Maicon.'

This is not the first time Balotelli's antics have made the headlines.

In 2011 when he was at Manchester City the striker set off fireworks in his £3million-valued house in Chesire causing £400,000 worth of damage.

Ten firefighters were required to put out the blaze, which was described as a 'substantial fire'.

In April 2011, it was reported Balotelli had spent £10,000 in parking fines and had his sports car impounded 27 times.

He once crashed his sports car soon after arriving at City in 2010 and it was reported that police found £5,000 in cash in his back pocket.

The striker was also reprimanded for throwing darts at the training ground.

In 2014, Balotelli found himself in more difficulty when he was unable to import his pet pig Super to the UK because of British restrictions on the movement of animals.

Last year, author Luca Caioli wrote a book called 'Balotelli: The Remarkable Story Behind the Sensational Headlines' for which he interviewed the Italian's former coaches and team-mates.

Marco Pedretti, who played alongside Balotelli when the pair were growing up, told Caioli: 'He liked to mess about like he does now, but he was a child back then. He was constantly a real pain in the neck and would pull pranks all the time. Bad ones, sometimes.

'It's true that he would pee on our bags containing our clean clothes and he would pee on people too.'

MARIO BALOTELLI'S MISDEMEANORS

Here's some more of Balotelli's on and off-field incidents during his time in English football.

CAR CRASH (August 2010)
Just days after signing for City, Balotelli hits the headlines after crashing his Audi R8 en route to the club's training ground. Balotelli is found to be carrying £5,000 in cash at the time of the accident and when police ask why, he reportedly replies: 'Because I am rich.'

FIRST RED CARD (November 2010)
Balotelli scores his first Premier League goals in a 2-0 win at West Brom but the achievement is marred when he is sent off following a clash with Youssouf Mulumbu.

WILSHERE SNUB (December 2010)
City boss Roberto Mancini says Balotelli must change his attitude following his claims he had never heard of Jack Wilshere after beating the Arsenal midfielder to FIFA's Young Player of the Year award.

DART-THROWING INCIDENT (March 2011)
Balotelli again hits trouble after it emerges he threw a dart at a City youth team player. No one was hurt in the incident and he escapes punishment.

SECOND RED CARD (March 2011)
Balotelli apologises to his team-mates after he is sent off during a Europa League tie with Dynamo Kiev for a reckless challenge on Goran Popov.

BACK-HEEL BLUNDER (July 2011)
Balotelli is immediately substituted by an enraged Mancini after performing a pirouette and back-heeling wide when clean through on goal in a pre-season friendly against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

THIRD RED CARD (November 2011)
The third red card of Balotelli's City career arrives in a league match against Liverpool, the 21-year-old dismissed for two yellow cards.

BREAKING CURFEW (December 2011)
Balotelli breaks a club 48-hour curfew by visiting a curry house ahead of a match against Chelsea.

RICHARDS CLASH (December 2011)
Just days after Balotelli's curfew lapse, he again attracts negative headlines after pictures emerge of a training-ground bust-up with team-mate Micah Richards.

PARKER CLASH (January 2012)
Balotelli is charged with violent conduct by the Football Association, and subsequently handed a four-match ban, after appearing to stamp on the head of Tottenham's Scott Parker during a Premier League match.

INTER PRESS CONFERENCE (March 2012)
Balotelli gatecrashes the press conference to announce the appointment of Andrea Stramaccioni as Inter Milan's new coach.

FOURTH RED CARD (April 2012)
Balotelli is sent off for two bookable challenges on Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna. Also guilty of a shocking knee-high challenge on Gunners midfielder Alex Song.

CLASH WITH MANCINI (January 2013)
Balotelli clashes with Mancini during training with the pair pulled apart by coaches.

- Daily Mail