Inter Milan legend, Marco Materazzi, has said he gave former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli a good beating in training, adding that Diego Milito wanted to kill him.
Materazzi and Balotelli were teammates with Inter Milan and Italy in the past.
Balotelli was a highly touted prospect during his time at Inter.
The striker's undeniable talent was pretty evident, but his antics often overshadowed his performances.
"I gave him a good beating, it's true. I love Mario [Balotelli], but he really deserved it that day," Materazzi told Daily Mail.
"We have become friends again now, practically brothers, but he did something that day that he really shouldn't have done. Throwing his shirt to the ground after the final whistle was not even the worst of it.
"Before the game, on the team bus, he told us: 'Today I am going to play badly,' so I promised to make him pay if he did. When he came off the bench, he tried a shot from midfield rather than going on the counter. Diego Milito wanted to kill him."
He added,
"We believed in Mario [Balotelli]. He scored many goals and contributed to the victory, but a week after that, I asked [Jose] Mourinho to put me against Balotelli in the training ground games between ranks. After a few seconds, I'd sent him back to the dressing room."
Balotelli, now 32, plays for FC Sion.
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