JOSE MOURINHO described him as unmanageable and claimed he had only one brain cell.
There is no doubt Mario Balotelli had a stormy time with the Inter Milan coach.
Yet the hothead striker breezed into Manchester City yesterday and immediately insisted: 'I'm no bad boy'.
The 20-year-old Italian international has already been through enough controversy in his career to last a lifetime.
After being reunited with Roberto Mancini at Eastlands, though, the £22.5million hitman insisted City's boss has nothing to worry about.
Mancini has had problems with Craig Bellamy and Stephen Ireland since taking charge in December, with both stars now heading through the exit door.
But despite a lengthy crime sheet, Balotelli is adamant he will not give his new manager and mentor any problems - apart from who to leave out to make space for him in the team.
He said with a smile: "I am not a bad boy.
"They say this in Italy but I am just a normal guy.
"I am not sure why I have this reputation. Really, I don't know and I really don't care about it now.
"Of course, this is a time to mature. But mistakes can always occur. I'm still young. I'm not old."
Asked about his volatile relationship with Mourinho, he added: "I don't want to talk about him. He's not my coach any more.
"But it was very important to me that Mancini is the manager here. If he wasn't, I probably wouldn't have come to City.
"He always showed faith in me when I played for him."
The last straw back home came after the Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona at the San Siro four months ago.
Inter fans were fuming over him being snapped in an AC Milan shirt days earlier and gave him a hostile welcome on to the pitch.
The evening ended in a 3-1 Inter win. But a distressed Balotelli threw his Inter jersey to the floor in front of Mourinho - and it was then he knew he had to get out.
Having been a target for racist opposition fans all his career, hearing his own supporters turn against him was too much to bear.
He recalled: "I decided then I wanted to leave Inter.
"Every day the papers in Milan were full of stories and it became very difficult to live there. That's when I told my agent I wanted to leave and to find me another club.
"I had no real problems with my team-mates but outside influences persuaded me to go.
"The racism is something that has really bothered me. It's a really bad thing but I've learned how to deal with it."
Within hours of signing for City on Friday night, Balotelli had put his foot in it by alleging he would have preferred to stay in Italy.
Yet he insisted: "I said I was sorry to leave Italy because I have my family and friends there but I was not sorry professionally.
"Professionally, I am very happy to be in Manchester. I have always wanted to come to Manchester City. There were a lot of teams interested in me over the summer but my first choice was always this one.
"I wanted to be here because of the manager and because it's a good environment for me to improve."
His first job will be to force his way into the first-team picture, with the likes of Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor in his way.
Balotelli has already ousted Roque Santa Cruz from the Europa League squad and could make his debut against FC Timisoara in Romania tomorrow night.
He declared: "I think I will fit in the Premier League. For a striker it's an ideal league compared to Italy, which is quite tactical.
"I know there are some great strikers here but I have come to play all the games and I will do my best to be in the team every week."
He certainly does not lack confidence and has already been dubbed 'The Hammer' by team-mates due to his blistering shots.
Mancini introduced Balotelli to Serie A as a youngster and insists he can tame the wild child of Italian football.
The City chief said: "Mario was in Serie A with me when he was 17. I don't think I will have a problem with him.
"I worked with him for a year and I didn't have any problems. I think it was unfair what has happened. He's a young guy and we all make mistakes when we're young.
"We were all bad boys when we were young. It's normal. He can grow as a player and as a man.
"I think he will be like all the other foreign players when they arrive in England. All the best players need two, three or four weeks to understand English football well because it's different.
"He has everything to be one of the best players in the world in the future."
There is no doubt Mario Balotelli had a stormy time with the Inter Milan coach.
Yet the hothead striker breezed into Manchester City yesterday and immediately insisted: 'I'm no bad boy'.
The 20-year-old Italian international has already been through enough controversy in his career to last a lifetime.
After being reunited with Roberto Mancini at Eastlands, though, the £22.5million hitman insisted City's boss has nothing to worry about.
Mancini has had problems with Craig Bellamy and Stephen Ireland since taking charge in December, with both stars now heading through the exit door.
But despite a lengthy crime sheet, Balotelli is adamant he will not give his new manager and mentor any problems - apart from who to leave out to make space for him in the team.
He said with a smile: "I am not a bad boy.
"They say this in Italy but I am just a normal guy.
"I am not sure why I have this reputation. Really, I don't know and I really don't care about it now.
"Of course, this is a time to mature. But mistakes can always occur. I'm still young. I'm not old."
Asked about his volatile relationship with Mourinho, he added: "I don't want to talk about him. He's not my coach any more.
"But it was very important to me that Mancini is the manager here. If he wasn't, I probably wouldn't have come to City.
"He always showed faith in me when I played for him."
The last straw back home came after the Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona at the San Siro four months ago.
Inter fans were fuming over him being snapped in an AC Milan shirt days earlier and gave him a hostile welcome on to the pitch.
The evening ended in a 3-1 Inter win. But a distressed Balotelli threw his Inter jersey to the floor in front of Mourinho - and it was then he knew he had to get out.
Having been a target for racist opposition fans all his career, hearing his own supporters turn against him was too much to bear.
He recalled: "I decided then I wanted to leave Inter.
"Every day the papers in Milan were full of stories and it became very difficult to live there. That's when I told my agent I wanted to leave and to find me another club.
"I had no real problems with my team-mates but outside influences persuaded me to go.
"The racism is something that has really bothered me. It's a really bad thing but I've learned how to deal with it."
Within hours of signing for City on Friday night, Balotelli had put his foot in it by alleging he would have preferred to stay in Italy.
Yet he insisted: "I said I was sorry to leave Italy because I have my family and friends there but I was not sorry professionally.
"Professionally, I am very happy to be in Manchester. I have always wanted to come to Manchester City. There were a lot of teams interested in me over the summer but my first choice was always this one.
"I wanted to be here because of the manager and because it's a good environment for me to improve."
His first job will be to force his way into the first-team picture, with the likes of Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor in his way.
Balotelli has already ousted Roque Santa Cruz from the Europa League squad and could make his debut against FC Timisoara in Romania tomorrow night.
He declared: "I think I will fit in the Premier League. For a striker it's an ideal league compared to Italy, which is quite tactical.
"I know there are some great strikers here but I have come to play all the games and I will do my best to be in the team every week."
He certainly does not lack confidence and has already been dubbed 'The Hammer' by team-mates due to his blistering shots.
Mancini introduced Balotelli to Serie A as a youngster and insists he can tame the wild child of Italian football.
The City chief said: "Mario was in Serie A with me when he was 17. I don't think I will have a problem with him.
"I worked with him for a year and I didn't have any problems. I think it was unfair what has happened. He's a young guy and we all make mistakes when we're young.
"We were all bad boys when we were young. It's normal. He can grow as a player and as a man.
"I think he will be like all the other foreign players when they arrive in England. All the best players need two, three or four weeks to understand English football well because it's different.
"He has everything to be one of the best players in the world in the future."