Mario Balotelli ‘smoked two cigarettes’ before each training session at Man City

Mario Balotelli used to smoke two cigarettes before every Manchester City training session former kitman Les Chapman has revealed.

The Italian international spent three years at the Etihad, joining the club in 2010 from Inter Milan for £23m, which also reunited him with his former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini. And it's safe to say his time in Manchester certainly wasn't a dull one.

Stories of impounded car, bathroom fireworks displays and other bizarre outings have built up Balotelli into something of a City cult hero.

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And it has now been revealed by former City kitman, Les 'Chappy' Chapman, that Balotelli, who assisted Sergio Aguero's 2012 Premier League title winning goal, used to enjoy a cigarette or two before heading out to training.

Speaking on the Ninety Three Twenty Podcast, Chapman said: "Every morning, he used to take me out the back of the dressing rooms, there was a little areas with a few tables – you could have a coffee or a cup of tea or something.

"And every morning, Mario used to say 'Chappy, c'mon' and we used to go round the back and sit at this table and he'd have one of my fags. I used to smoke then.

"He'd probably have two cigarettes, one after the other. Never bring his own. He must have had 80 packets and 70 lighters all the time he was there but never got me one cigarette."

What was your favourite Mario Balotelli moment at Manchester City? Let us know in the comments section below.

Aside from the Aguero assist, which was his only one for the club, Balotelli also earned City fans approval when he revealed an undershirt that had "why always me?" printed on it after scoring against rivals Manchester United in the Manchester derby.

On that day back in 2011, City thumped United 6-1, in a game that saw Balotelli score a brace.

And it was Chapman who actually printed the undershirt for the Italian, with the former City kitman revealing he had to refuse some of Balotelli's initial suggestions.

Chapman added: "Mario's took me around the back and said 'I want to get this printed on my shirt, what do you think?' and I said 'yeah, I'll print it up, but you can't have anything offensive or it's going to offend the United fans or anybody really.

"He came out with one or two things and I said 'No, Mario' and then he said 'what about why always me?' and as soon as he said it I thought that's just about perfect and then I got in trouble after that game because they wouldn't let me print anymore shirts after that game

"Instead of just lifting his shirt up to there [his chest], he lifted it over his head and got booked so David Platt [said] 'message from Mancini, don't print anymore shirts.'

"But after five minutes, it had gone global!"

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