Mario Balotelli Has Been Reported To Police For His Outrageous Moped Stunt

Mario Balotelli is in hot water with the police for his viral stunt involving a bar owner driving a moped into the sea, according to reports.

The ex-Manchester City and Liverpool striker, 28, paid the man €2,000 to take part in the incident, which took place in Mergellina on Saturday.

Football Italia says that Balotelli has been reported to the police and is accused of 'criminal solicitation and gambling.'

The Italy international, who posted the video on his Instagram, apparently made the bet with Catello Buonocore.

And Balotelli, Buonocore and two others face charges over the 'abandonment of hazardous waste,' despite reports that the moped had been retrieved from the sea.

The local bar owner wore only his underwear as he drove the moped off the edge and landed straight into the sea.

Balotelli reportedly paid the man for taking part in his now-viral stunt in Mergellina, which is west of the Naples city centre.

Football Italia reports that the man told reporters: "My moped was only worth £540 anyway."

'Super Mario' is currently a free agent after his contract with Marseille expired in June.

The former Inter and AC Milan striker has attracted interest from Italian side Parma, but a Premier League return could be on the table.

According to Oddschecker, bookies have slashed odds from 6/1 to 5/2 on Balotelli to move to West Ham United following Marko Arnautović's departure to Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG.

"Never shy from the limelight, Balotelli grabbed the headlines yet again this week -- but not for footballing reasons," says Oddschecker spokesman Callum Wilson.

"Allegedly paying an Italian bar owner €2,000 to drive his scooter into a river is one of the more mundane 'pranks' that we've come to know from the firebrand over the years.

"Hammers fans will hope he can keep the Premier League side afloat next season, and not sink towards the Championship without the likes of the recently departed Marko Arnautović."

Which club should Balotelli sign for next?

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Featured Image Credit: Mario Balotelli/PA

Topics: Football News, Football, Mario Balotelli, Italy

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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