Story highlights
- Mario Balotelli says he's happy to have left England
- Italy international insists he's just a "normal guy" despite wild stories
- Confesses to his love of women and fast cars
- Admits some people have a negative view of him
Mario Balotelli has delivered his verdict on his time in the English Premier League -- he couldn't be happier to have left England.
The Italian international, who quit Manchester City for AC Milan last January, endured a tumultuous two-year spell in England with his life being played out on television screens and splashed across the pages of the tabloid newspapers.
Car crashes, throwing a dart at a youth team player, fireworks being set off in his bathroom and a training ground bust-up with the manager were all par for the course for football's "enfant terrible" during his time at City.
The 22-year-old, who describes himself as just a "normal guy," insists his treatment at the hands of the British press crossed a line.
"Yes," Balotelli told CNN when asked if he was unfairly treated in England.
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"But I'm not here to talk about if I'm unfairly treated. I don't care. I'm out from England, I'm happy that I'm out from England. That's it.
"I'm really happy now. I have my family near me and my friends. I can relax and find my privacy, more than in England, where I was alone."
Despite the off-field misdemeanors, former manager Roberto Mancini constantly defended the player even though Balotelli's behavior tested a relationship which stretched back to when the Italian-born forward was a raw and talented 16-year-old at Inter Milan.
However, the deterioration in the pair's relationship led to the striker being sold by City for $30 million to Milan. Mancini was relieved of his duties only last week following a season in which City failed to win a trophy.
Back in Italy, Balotelli still attracts headlines, although he insists not all of the extraordinary incidents he has been linked with are factually correct.
Twitter became a minefield of rumor and speculation with tales of Balotelli driving around Manchester, throwing money at homeless people -- just one of the untrue stories to have been concocted.
"The stuff that they said in the newspapers that I did in England in the past, few of those are real," he said.
"The others are really just the imagination of the journalists. But when you create an icon of a person in that kind of way, after everyone thinks you are like this and if you lie about it, everyone just thinks that it is all true.
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"So maybe that's why they think I'm crazy and do crazy things? Sometimes I dream to be alone and that nobody would talk to me.
"A love of women I think is normal. Cars? I like fast cars and I don't see the problem if I like fast cars.
"Some things have happened in my life, some stuff unfortunately happened and they went on the newspapers straight away. But I don't see anything that would make people think that I'm bad or I'm crazy. I'm a normal guy.
"But I understand that football is really important and that everybody watches it. When you're famous you have to do photos or autographs, especially for the kids."
Back in Italy with his friends and family, Balotelli feels more comfortable and able to live freely in a way he found difficult to do so in England.
But he admits that his past transgressions count against him and that general public has preconceived notions about his personality.
"Of course, even if you're the best in the world then some people don't like you and some people like you," added Balotelli.
"What is important for me is that the people who know me for real, know Mario how he really is.
"People who don't know me, they read newspapers and they watch TV. Television is made to give a lot of opinions, so I can't show the real Mario to everybody."
Since joining Milan, Balotelli has scored 11 goals in 12 games.
