Sad news in as Ghanaian born Italian footballer Mario Balotelli has lost his adoptive father after a protracted battle with illness.

Francesco Balotelli is the man who together with his wife adopted Mario from his Ghanaian immigrant parents. They groomed the mercurial boy who later became the incorrigible Mario Balotelli.

Francesco passed away this afternoon, and his funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Brescia. Mario is expected to fly over from England for the service.

Balotelli was adopted when he was three, so he always identified with the Italian part of his heritage than the Ghanaian. That led to him choosing to play for Italy, a decision didn’t go down particularly well with Ghanaians.

Condolences to the Balotelli family.