Mario Balotelli has reportedly become a dad for a second time.
The 27-year-old Italian soccer star’s girlfriend Clelia gave birth to a baby boy named Lion in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, according to Sky Sport Italia.
Balotelli – who also has a four-year-old daughter called Pia with Italian TV personality Raffaella Fico – has already hailed his new arrival on Instagram, posting an image of a stairway to heaven with a caption reading “#FELICITA”, which translates to “happiness”.
Balotelli, who is widely regarded as one of the most eccentric players in modern day soccer, previously demanded a paternity test to determine whether he had, in fact, fathered Pia with Raffaella.
At the time, Balotelli’s demand prompted an angry reaction from Raffaella’s brother Francesco Fico, who described the athlete’s behaviour as “shameful”. He said: “Balotelli’s request for a paternity test is shameful and people have also telephoned my sister and told her to have an abortion. “To learn that Balotelli wants a DNA test is offensive and shows a total lack of respect towards my sister. Raffaella is very stressed out about all this and she is in a bad way. “If I had Mario Balotelli in front of me, I would tell him, ‘Grow up and take responsibility for being a father.'” Following their high-profile split, Balotelli – whose nomadic playing career has seen him feature for clubs in Italy, England and France – claimed to have become a more mature person. The Italian striker previously explained to reporters: “I haven’t changed. I’ve matured, I’m growing. I’m not 17 anymore, with experience you grow. “I’m not one of the best in the world and I’m not one of the worst in the world. I’m only myself, like always.”