Micah Richards has narrated a hilarious story about how he called the Fiorentina manager a d***head because of Mario Balotelli.
Richards joined Fiorentina on loan in 2014 after falling out of favour under then manager Manuel Pellegrini.
And upon his arrival to the Italian side, he asked his former teammate Mario Balotelli for advice on how to greet people in Italian.
That decision backfired, meanwhile, as Richards explained how he swore at then-Fiorentina boss Montella.
Speaking on the latest episode of the The Rest is Football podcast, Richards narrated how he sought Balotelli’s advice on Italian greetings when joining Fiorentina.
However, the phrase Balotelli suggested, “testa di cazzo,” turned out to mean “you f****g d****head.”
Richards unknowingly used it when greeting the then Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella.
Fortunately, Montella took it in good humor and laughed it off.
https://twitter.com/RestIsFootball/status/1699717886388957209?t=4pPAYarfvzJ4AoqafatLXw&s=19
Micah Richards:
“I went to Fiorentina on the last day of the transfer market. But I didn't speak any Italian, so I asked Balotelli what I should say when greeting someone. He gave me tips, and then I went to meet the manager, Montella. I go up to him, shake his hand, and say:… pic.twitter.com/RoBHoVxeBO
— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) September 8, 2023
Richards and Balotelli played together at Manchester City for two and a half years and both were part of the City team that won the dramatic Premier League title in 2012.
Mario Balotelli has a reputation as a troublemaker and prankster, frequently making headlines for the wrong reasons.
Richards should have known better than to believe Balo!