Mario Balotelli has commissioned a life-size statue of himself so his goal celebration can be "immortalised".
Artist Livio Scarpella is already working on the design to go in the Italian's new home in Brescia.
The art work will resemble the former Manchester City striker's bare-chested celebration when he scored for Italy against Germany in the Euro 2012 semi-final.
"I received the commission, but have never actually met Balotelli, so I am working from photographs," Scarpella told Il Giornale di Brescia newspaper.
"I presented various sketches, but Mario wanted to be immortalised in the pose he strikes when he scores: rippling muscles and an expression to challenge the opponents.
"I imagined him as an athlete from ancient times. The statue will be between the classic and pop style, in platinum and coloured bronze with the eyes made of precious stones."
The pose was immediately seized on by the internet's most chucklesome wags, with predictably hilarious results:Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic also got in on the act after their Champions League tie at the Bernabeu earlier this month.
Balotelli was born in Sicily but his family moved to Lombardy soon after and he is having a new house built in Brescia.
