Mario Balotelli commissioned a statue of himself in his hometown

Mario Balotelli may be Mario Balotelli’s biggest fan, which is why it is no surprise to hear that he has commissioned a statue of himself to be built in his hometown of Brescia, Italy. But not just any statue — one of Balotelli striking his signature flexing pose after scoring a goal.

“I received the commission, but have never actually met Balotelli, so I am working from photographs,” local artist Livio Scarpella told Il Giornale di Brescia newspaper, via Football Italia. “I presented various sketches, but Mario wanted to be immortalised in the pose after a goal: muscles in evidence and an expression to challenge the opponents.”

Yeah, so that’s happening. Scarpella described the statue further.

“I imagined him as an athlete from ancient times,” the artist said. “The statue will be between the classic and pop style, in platinum and coloured bronze with the eyes made of precious stones.”

This isn’t exactly a shocker. We’re talking about the same Balotelli who needs his teammates to muzzle him after he scores a goal and was once benched for missing an easy goal because he was too preoccupied with showing off. A statue of himself that he is providing the funding for simply adds to the legacy.

H/T Dirty Tackle via Extra Mustard