Mario Balotelli Spreads Christmas Cheer, Gives Revelers £1,000 for Drinks at Manchester Bar

by Marcus Kwesi O'Mard on Tue, Dec 27, 2011 at 6:42PM

Nobody can accuse Mario Balotelli of being a grinch. On Christmas Eve, the Manchester City star entered a Manchester dive bar and bought £1,000 ($1,566) worth of drinks and holiday cheer for its patrons, according to the Daily Mirror.

Balotelli "delighted drinkers at the Tudor pub in Peel Hall with his generous gesture and barely dented the tab himself as he stayed on soft drinks all night," the report states.

The 21-year-old Italian international then attended midnight mass at a local church.

2011 has been a banner year for Balotelli. He has fully acclimated himself to English soccer and now leads the attack on the top team in the Premier League. His 11 goals in 19 games this season have made him a big hit among City fans.

Balotelli is an off-field star as well. He's made countless headlines with his many shenanigans and the women he dates.

We can't even begin to predict what 2012 has in store for the goal machine.