MARIO BALOTELLI was up to his usual tricks after scoring a screamer before taunting a rival boss and sparking a mass melee on the sidelines.
The striker, now playing for Turkish side Adana Demirspor, netted a stunning goal in Tuesday’s 3-3 draw with Besiktas, letting fly from distance and completely bamboozling the goalkeeper.
And he could not resist a cheeky celebration directly at the opposition manager Sergen Yalcin.
Yalcin previously said the Italy international had ‘no brain’ and that he would ‘fire’ him following the striker’s infamous failed backheel for Manchester City against LA Galaxy in pre-season in 2011.
Balotelli, therefore, decided to rub it in by sarcastically pointing to his head with both index fingers.
And he caused further controversy as he appeared to make a comment to the home dugout.
The Besiktas staff reacted furiously as tempers flared between the two benches – while Balotelli casually walked off sipping his water.
The ex-Manchester City man, 31, took to Instagram afterwards, posting a video of the goal and celebration with a brain emoji.
He also wrote on his story: “We have brain and especially we have balls and heart. Very big heart and we are proud of it.”
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But Adana Demirspor’s president said both his striker and the Besiktas manager were in the wrong, adding: “I wish it didn’t happen.
“Both Sergen Yalcin’s comments at first and then what Balotelli did were not right.”
Yalcin, however, turned up the heat again by playing the ignorant card and suggesting the celebration was done out of spite by Balotelli after not signing for Besiktas last year.
He said: “It is the first time that I’ve seen a player doing such a thing to a manager.
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“I could not understand why he did that, maybe the reason is that he did not join Besiktas last year. That shows his personality.”
Balotelli’s belter, scored with 79 minutes on the clock, was Adana’s second goal of the night as they staged a dramatic second-half comeback to rescue a point from 3-0 down.
Britt Assombalonga found the net in the 97th minute to equalise but there was still time for Valentin Rosier to be sent off after that for the hosts.
