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He's already well known for his explosive temperament, but there were actual fireworks on Mario Balotelli's first evening as an AC Milan player.
The striker, just off the plane to complete a £20m move from Manchester City, would have been hoping for a quiet meal with club vice-president Adriano Galliani to help him settle in.
But Milan's fans had other ideas. Hundreds of Ultras waving banners and setting off fireworks and flares gathered outside Milan's Giannino Restaurant where he was set to dine with the club's hierarchy.
And video footage showed Balotelli, wearing an orange cap, jumping up and down right in the thick of it.
Welcome to Milan! Mario Balotelli was greeted by hundreds of AC Ultras as he went for dinner
Fireworks: AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli is mobbed by fans outside Giannino Restaurant
Fireworks already: The Ultras lit flares and set off pyrotechnics to herald Balotelli's arrival
The celebrations ended in a fight between fans and police when tear gas was fired to disperse the noisy crowd. Bottles were thrown and a policeman was taken to hospital after being struck on the head.
The 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 policeman hospitalized (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.
All this fuss for me: Balotelli looked delighted to see his noisy welcome party
The future's bright... Balotelli wore a distinctive orange baseball cap as he went for dinner with the AC Milan hierarchy
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.
Shortly after arriving at Malpensa Airport at around 3pm, Balotelli paraded the Milan shirt and spoke to reporters.
‘I wanted play for Milan since long time ago,’ he said. ‘Before I played for another team and I couldn’t come. Now I had this chance and I ran.
The shirt fits: Mario Balotelli shows off his new AC Milan kit after landing in Italy to complete his transfer
Shake on it: The Italian striker was greeted by Milan vice president Adriano Galliani upon his arrival
‘I started this season with City not very well and I hope to change the situation here. I felt inside me that one day I would have come.
‘I took important decisions and I hope they will be lucky for me and for Milan.’
He will have a medical at Milan and is expected to be officially unveiled later this week.
Game for a laugh: Balotelli smiles as he arrives in Italy ahead of completing his Milan deal
This way please: Mario Balotelli is mobbed as he arrives at the hospital for medical checks
What's this, Mario? Balotelli was presented with the 'Golden Tapir', an infamous Italian award for celebrities who have endured some form of scandal
'Balo is back’ screamed the front of La Gazzetta dello Sport. Balotelli is back in Milan and in line to make his debut in a friendly on Thursday against an amateur side from his home town of Brescia.
Balotelli is still expected to have his medical today but it is possible the deal will not be finalised until deadline day, with Italy’s transfer window closing earlier than the one in England, at 7pm.
The 22-year-old is expected to have dinner with Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi tonight and a press conference has now been scheduled for tomorrow.
On the move: La Gazzetta dello Sport has Balotelli on its front page with a mocked up red mohawk
Excitement is such that fans of the Rossoneri have already snapped up over a thousand shirts with ‘Balotelli’ and No 9 on the back.
The problem is that Brazilian Alexandre Pato has the No 9 shirt – despite leaving for Corinthians earlier this month – and Serie A rules state that a shirt number cannot be reallocated, so instead he is set to wear the No 45 shirt, just as he did at Manchester City and Milan’s city rivals Inter.
The 22-year-old wears his favourite No 9 shirt for the Italian national team and he could be tempted to follow in the footsteps of another former Inter striker Ivan Zamorano who could not have the No 9 shirt, so had No 18 with a + sign in the middle.
Robbie Fowler did the same when he signed for Leeds and missed out on the No 9 shirt that he had worn at Liverpool, so opted for the No 27.
Cashing in: The AC Milan website is selling shirts with Balotelli's name on
Signing on: Balotelli with the No 45 shirt at Manchester City
City manager Roberto Mancini claimed the Italy forward could go on to become one of the best players in the world following his move.
‘I think that they are very close (to a deal),’ he said. ‘We are also so sad because Mario was an important player for us.
‘He is a fantastic player but I think for him this could be an important chance to go back to Italy and play for another top club like Milan.
‘I hope he can continue to improve because he can become one of the world's best players.’
Mancini believes Balotelli did ‘very well’ in his two-and-a-half years with City, although concedes this season has proved more difficult.
How he will look: Balotelli wearing No 45 on City's away shirt, the number he will continue to use at Milan
Favorite number: Balotelli wears the No 9 for Italy
Other side of the city: Balotelli had to wear the No 45 at Inter as well
Making do: Ivan Zamorano wore 1+8 on his shirt
He was also quick to deny suggestions the departure was related to difficulties in dealing with the forward.
‘No, no, no, not for me,’ he said. ‘For me, Mario was like another of my children.
‘Mario is this but you can be upset with him sometimes.
‘The club told me they had this from Milan. I spoke with Mario and I think he wanted this.
‘I think for him after three years in England to come back to Italy will be good for him.’
Speaking after the game at QPR, Mancini said: 'It is difficult because I lost one important striker and that could be important in the next 14 games.
'But it is important for Mario - to be back in Italy, back with his family and to play for Milan.
'This is for Mario because we love Mario and he deserves to have this chance.'
Berlusconi has already apologised to Balotelli for suggesting he could be a ‘rotten apple’ in the dressing-room following his well-publicised problems at the Etihad Stadium.
Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has described the imminent signing of Mario Balotelli as a 'dream come true'.
Quoted on the club's website, he said: 'I certainly do not have to introduce Mario Balotelli.
'It is a dream come true and something that we all wanted, with the president Silvio Berlusconi at the forefront.
'With the arrival of Mario, we have strengthened our team a lot.
'We have worked so hard and Mario has been in our hearts for a long time and finally we have succeeded in signing him.'
And Massimo Moratti, chairman of Inter Milan who sold Balotelli to City, believes he will be a good signing for their rivals.
‘It was a good business for Milan,’ said Moratti. ‘We already had him, so we didn't need him. He can be useful to Berlusconi for many reasons.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2270976/Mario-Balotelli-mobbed-AC-Milan-fans-outside-restaurant.html#ixzz2JX5RI7Yu
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