Balotelli caught smoking on train to Fiorentina match

The striker is set to receive a fine from AC Milan after his involvement in another bizarre incident, having initially let his football do the talking since returning to Italy.

AC Milan is set to fine Mario Balotelli after the striker was caught smoking in a train toilet on Saturday en route to Florence for the club's clash with Fiorentina on Sunday morning.

The striker has been hitting the headlines for all the right reasons since moving from Manchester City at the end of January and has scored seven goals in as many Serie A games; however, several reports in Italy said the club was ready to crack down on the 22-year-old after a conductor caught him red-handed smoking on the train this weekend, which is prohibited by Italian law.

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani was also on the train and had initially been having fun during the journey, trying on a hat belonging to one of the guards and joking with members of the squad. That was until he was told of Balotelli's indiscretion by the train's most senior guard, who, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, said, "Maybe you have to pull Balotelli's ears, because he was smoking in the toilet."

As a result, Galliani informed the teenage winger M'Baye Niang, who was in the group of players he was with, to tell to his teammate that he would be fined. He then rang the player's agent Mino Raiola to report his client.

The Rossoneri squad was taking the Frecciarossa service ahead of its clash with the fourth-placed Viola with the chance to extend the gap between the top three to nine points with a win or see it crumble to three points with a loss.

Despite the incident, Balotelli was selected to lead the line from the start for Massimiliano Allegri's men.

Balotelli was regularly snapped by photographers with a cigarette in hand during his two-and-a-half year spell with Roberto Mancini's men - a pastime that is frowned upon by many coaches for obvious health reasons.

Balotelli was in the headlines more often for his mischief and disobedience than his goalscoring during his time in England, which played a part in the Premier League champions selling the striker on deadline day in January.