Italy striker Balotelli to become a father

Italy striker Mario Balotelli was told he was to become a father hours before scoring twice against Germany in the semi-finals of Euro 2012, Italian media reported on Monday.

The Manchester City player's girlfriend Raffaella Fico told weekly celebrity gossip magazine "I called Mario while he was with the national team before the match with Germany and I said to him: 'remember our dream of becoming parents? Well that dream has become a reality. I'm expecting a baby. Your baby'.

"He remained silent at first, then he let himself go: 'you've given me the best news in the world', he told me. Then the next day on the pitch he scored two goals," Fico was quoted as saying.

After beating Germany 2-1, Italy lost 4-0 to Spain in the final in Ukraine on Sunday.