Olympique Marseille coach Rudi Garcia admits Mario Balotelli has surprised him.

The former AC Milan striker joined OM in January from Nice.

“Balotelli is wise now and pretty well-balanced," said Garcia in his Press conference.

“When he was on the opposition team, I'd tell my Roma players to provoke Balotelli, but I've been surprised by his character. He is appreciated by his teammates, is a happy and intelligent guy.

“He's the opposite of what I thought."