MARIO BALOTELLI almost choked to death while on club duty - after confusing tomato ketchup with red-hot chili sauce.
The former Manchester City and Liverpool madcap has figured in a series of crazy antics throughout his career.
And Balotelli's one-time clubmate Florian Thauvin has now revealed the Italy striker made himself ill with an accidental overdose of harissa.
The powerful North African condiment is made from fiery chilis, spices, herbs, seeds and oil.
Ex-Newcastle winger Thauvin was with Marseille when Balotelli joined the Ligue 1 club in 2019.
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Thauvin, 31, recalled: "Mario Balotelli signed for Marseille. We were on a pre-match training camp, and having a meal.
"At that time Adil Rami was at the club, and he always asked for there to be harissa on the table.
"So the chef always used to put out a bowl of harissa for Adil. Balotelli showed up.
"It was his first pre-match camp with the club, and everything was new for him.
"As the good Italian he is, he helped himself to pasta. He thought the harissa was tomato sauce.
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"He began plastering the harissa over his pasta - he took a big helping of it.
"Us other players looked at one another, and thought: 'That's hot stuff - and he's taken a lot of it.'
"We thought he knew what he was doing. We didn't know him, so we felt he knew and that there was no problem.
"Mario began to eat, but inside five minutes he was weeping and the sweat was pouring down his face.
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"All the players wished him welcome to the club. We were crying with laughter - it was exceptional."
As the good Italian he is, he helped himself to pasta. He thought the harissa was tomato sauce.
Thauvin on Balotelli
Balotelli, 33, is now in his second spell with Turkish club Adana Demirspor.
He won the Premier League with Manchester City after a £16million move from Inter Milan in 2010.
However the striker fared less well at Liverpool, scoring just four goals in 28 games for the Reds.
Capped 36 times, Balotelli has also played for AC Milan, Nice, Brescia, Monza and Swiss club Sion.
