AC Milan owner admits he never wanted to sign Mario Balotelli, calls him a 'rotten apple'

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi had some harsh words for Mario Balotelli following the Italian striker's move to England.

Balotelli arrived in Milan during the January 2013 transfer window following a tumultuous time with Manchester City. He lasted a season and a half before being sold to Liverpool for 16 million pounds ($25.7 million) during the summer transfer window.

Berlusconi now claims that the initial decision to bring Balotelli to AC Milan was made against his will, despite an impressive scoring record with the Rossoneri, and feels the team are better off without the controversial player.

"I remember (Balotelli) was bought against my advice," Berlusconi told La Gazzetta dello Sport, as translated by the Daily Mail.

"We have many champions: (Jeremy) Menez, (Keisuke) Honda, (Stephan) El Shaarawy, (Fernando) Torres, (Nigel) De Jong.

"The base is there. And we no longer have a rotten apple in the dressing room."

Even though he didn't help them capture silverware during his tenure, it's an odd statement to make, considering Balotelli scored more goals for AC Milan in fewer appearances than he did for rivals Inter Milan. He netted 26 goals in 43 games for AC Milan compared to the 20 goals he scored in 59 appearances for Internazionale over a three-year stretch.

However, it's not surprising considering the source. Nor is it the first time Berlusconi has called Balotelli a bad apple.

The former Italian prime minister used the same term weeks before purchasing Balotelli from Manchester City in 2013. He was responding to a question about the striker's outburst during a training session in which Balotelli and former manager Roberto Mancini got into a physical altercation. Berlusconi later apologised for the comment, saying he wasn't referring to Balotelli.