He earns £100,000-a-week and is infamous for his eccentric behaviour.
But in a bizarre display of his bloated wealth, Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has spent £55,000 in just eight weeks after checking into a luxury hotel – and all because he broke a window at his house.
The 21-year-old Italian has moved into the Presidential Suite at the Manchester Hilton hotel after a firework was let off in the bathroom at his £3 million rented home in October.
Firefighters were forced to tackle a blaze that wrecked the first floor bathroom and a room directly below at the property in Manchester’s stockbroker belt.
The star and his friends escaped unhurt after fleeing the fire at 1am, just 36 hours before Balotelli and his team-mates faced their most important game of the season – against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Bathroom towels were set on fire and the flames spread but Balotelli has insisted that he did not cause the blaze and that the offending firework was let off by his friends.
Balotelli now faces a £400,000 bill for the repairs as his landlord wants the footballer to pay for the damages himself rather than go through insurance.
However, the damage has still not been fixed and the multi-millionaire, who transferred to Manchester City from Inter Milan for £24 million in August 2010, is now staying in the hotel suite which costs £979 a night.
The Hilton website boasts that the Presidential suite is separated into four zones – ‘work, living, dining and relaxation - creating luxury environments for both work and play’.
It adds: ‘All areas, including two bedrooms and two bathrooms, are welcoming and stylish, and boast state-of-the-art features including a flat screen TV and a monsoon shower.
Floor-to-ceiling windows provide wonderful views and natural light throughout the spacious suite. Guest can also enjoy access to the hotel’s Executive Lounge.’
