Mario Balotelli is spending a lot of money (but hey, he's rich). He was just fined 10,000 euros for an "insulting gesture" towards fans who racially abused him, and is now commissioning a statue of himself for his house. Livio Scarpella, a local artist, describes the statue:
"I presented several drawings but Mario wanted to be immortalized in a pose that shows him having scored a goal, highlighting his muscles and with an expression of defiance.
"I have imagined him as an athlete from ancient times and the statue will be a mix of classical and pop style in platinum and coloured bronze with the eyes made of stones."
The artist seems to be depicting his celebration after scoring against Germany to send Italy to the Euro 2012 final. Though Mario often describes soccer as "his job," it's clear this moment means far more.
But a statue in his own house? This just adds another layer to the ridiculous-cake of Super Mario's life. He is the best character in sports right now. In the NFL, they dance in the end zone and start Twitter beefs. Mario has a statue of himself. Do better.
