Puma has added to its long list of star sponsorships by inking a deal with AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli. The controversial soccer player wore the brand’s boots for the first time last week against Roma when he sported a custom pair of evoPower Stampa FG covered in newspaper headlines from his colorful career. “Puma’s support for the Italian national team was [an] instrumental reason for me signing this contract and I am sure that the coming years will bring many good things for us all,” Balotelli says. With the Fifa World Cup on its way, 2014 will be an important year for Puma, and CEO Bjorn Gulden says Balotelli will complement the brand’s “already strong” sports marketing portfolio.