Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has avoided serious injury after a major car crash in Brescia.
According to the Italian newspaper Fatto Quotidiano, the accident occurred in Orzinuovi, in Brescia, Balotelli’s hometown, around 8.30 pm.
Balotelli, who now plays for Turkish side Adana Demirspor, was back home as he recovers from an injury.
The 33-year-old reportedly lost control of his £100,000 Audi Q8 car and crashed into a wall, with the impact of the collision forcing the airbags to go off.
Balotelli was attended to by paramedics after climbing out of his car and lying on the ground. The forward reportedly escaped serious injuries following the crash.
Sky Sport Italia reported that local police attempted to give Balotelli a breathalyser test following the crash, which he refused.
This led to police confiscating Balotelli’s driving licence.
His brother Enock Barwuah visited the scene of the crash, after returning from training with his local team, and took him home.
Balotelli has been the subject of several controversies during his career, with the forward hitting the headlines days after joining Man City in 2010.
The forward crashed his Audi R8 en route to the club’s training ground and was found to be carrying £5,000 in cash at the time of the accident.
When police asked why, he reportedly replied: ‘Because I am rich.’
Balotelli joined Adana Demirspor in September, signing for the Turkish club on a one-year deal.
The striker has scored three goals in five appearances since joining the club.
The former Inter and AC Milan forward this week confirmed his ambitions to return to regain a place in the Italian national side.
‘If I’m well, I still consider myself the strongest,’ Balotelli told TVPlay.
‘Did [Giacomo] Raspadori and [Gianluca] Scamacca play [against Ukraine]? How many shots did they take combined? Two?
‘I want to recover and play for the national team. I always hope for the call.
‘I met Spalletti and I’ve met him several times. We made some jokes when we met in a friendly with Napoli, but I have no relationship.’