MARIO BALOTELLI has been cleared of raping a 16-year-old girl after a judge ruled the Manchester City icon was the victim of an £85,000 extortion bid.
Former Liverpool and Italy striker Balotelli said he had consensual sex with the teenager while she was on holiday in July 2017 when he played for Nice.
He then reported an attempted extortion to police – three weeks before his accuser and her lawyer contacted authorities.
And a judge decided witnesses and recordings of a telephone conversation with Balotelli showed a “machination” to extort money.
Italian police in Balotelli’s home town of Brescia also closed the case.
They deemed any accusation against the ex-Inter and AC Milan hero, who was 31 on Thursday, was “unfounded”.
The Adana Demirspor star’s lawyer welcomed the decisions by the judge and police, saying: “Balotelli is satisfied as this was an unacceptable and insulting accusation.
“It’s a pity for the girl, who proved herself to be an instrument in the hands of an adult without scruples.”
Balotelli is best known in England for his Etihad spell from 2010-13.
He won the Premier League and FA Cup once apiece with City, having previously experienced three Serie A triumphs and Champions League glory with Inter.
But he never quite fulfilled his potential as one of Europe’s most promising forwards.
And last month he joined Turkish club Adana from Italian second-flight club Monza.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
