Balotelli turns up at unveiling of Inter boss

Andrea Stramaccioni’s was confirmed as Inter Milan’s new coach in a bizarre press conference gatecrashed by Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli yesterday.

In a shock twist a smiling Balotelli wandered into Stramaccioni’s introductory press conference greeting all of the Inter dignitaries, before sidling off the stage.

Stramaccioni looked bemused by the whole episode. The 36-year-old former youth team coach has been promoted to look after first-team affairs after Claudio Ranieri was shown the door on Monday night, with Inter 10 points adrift of the third and last Champions League qualifying place and 22 below rivals AC Milan in Serie A.

Roberto Samaden, the head of Inter’s youth team sector, was shocked by Stramaccioni’s swift ascent but backed him to make a go of it.

“Honestly, it was difficult to think this would happen so quickly for Stramaccioni,” Samaden admitted.

“When we signed Andrea the idea was to start a new project but we would not have imagined that things would proceed the way they have.

“This is a new experience because it has never happened before, but we will face it with calmness.”