Balotelli often made the headlines for the wrong reasons with his off-pitch antics during his eventful two-year spell with City, from setting off fireworks to adopting a pet pig.
He recently admitted he regretted leaving City at the age of 22 and felt he could have gone on to win a Ballon d’Or if he had stayed at the club, using Sergio Aguero as an example.
“I think that was my biggest mistake, to leave City,” he told The Athletic in 2022. “Even in the year when I left, I played very well in Milan for a year and a half, but after that, I had some problems. And now that I’m older, I know that I shouldn’t have left City at that time.
“All these years seeing City improving, improving and improving. I could have been here like Sergio Aguero for a long time. If I had my mindset now [laughs]. When I was at City, probably one [Ballon d’Or] I could have won, I’m sure about this. But you know, when you grow up, you mature more, so.”