Adrian Mutu was a hero in Serie A, but his career quickly unravelled during a series of tabloid scandals after a high-profile move to Chelsea in 2003

Adrian Mutu with his third and current wife, former model and Miss Romania contestant Sandra

Adrian Mutu has lived a thousand lifetimes. The Serie A hero who was scoring goals for fun on the Italian peninsula quickly came crashing back down to earth after a series of off-the-pitch scandals grabbed headlines when he rocked up at Chelsea in 2003.

Mutu, who turns 46 on Wednesday (January 8), spend his childhood in Calinesti, Romania, where his dad was a mathematician and his mum a computer operator, gave little hint of the turbulent lifestyle that lay ahead.

A goal spree for his native Dinamo Bucharest alerted Inter Milan to his talents and a move to Serie A followed, before his performances for Parma earned him a Ballon d'Or nomination.

But his troubles escalated after he joined Chelsea in 2003 - a £15m star signing approved by former owner Roman Abramovich after then-manager Claudio Ranieri identified him as his top target.

However, it's his actions off the pitch that Mutu is best remembered for at Stamford Bridge.

In 2004, he found himself in hot water after being caught in a sting with an adult film actress in Romania. His dalliance with adult star Laura Andresan was front page news in his homeland, after he allegedly sucked blood from the cut finger of the 'Transylvanian temptress', before they had adult relations.

When he returned that summer to meet Chelsea's new manager, Jose Mourinho, the gaffer seemed disinterested due to rumours about Mutu's partying. Mutu would go on to claim that the Portuguese boss would favour his star signing Didier Drogba over him.

Adult actress Laura Andreson claimed a cut finger led to some blood sucking before she and Adrian Mutu got intimate on a kitchen table

Even though Abramovich hoped for big things from his star signing, Mutu only made two substitute appearances before his next disaster struck. He was called up for international duty after missing three weeks at Chelsea due to injury.

"Mourinho said I was injured but it's not true," claimed Mutu. "I have been in good condition for five days and he knew that." Not one to stay quiet, Mourinho responded publicly. It led to a feud between two of the Premier League's big names.

Mourinho hit Mutu with the biggest fine possible, a whopping £120,000, but that was just the start of the drama. Chelsea gave him the boot for failing a drugs test, which showed he had cocaine in his blood.

The club said: "We want to make clear that Chelsea has a zero tolerance policy towards drugs. This applies to both performance-enhancing drugs or so-called 'recreational' drugs. They have no place at our club or in sport."

Mutu was banned from football for seven months by The FA, but he said he never took cocaine. He said he only used something to spice up his love life. "I am not hooked on drugs," Mutu insisted. "I categorically deny this."

"The only reason I took what I took was because I wanted to improve my sexual performance. It may be funny but it is true. I did not take cocaine. I took something to make me feel good."

Mutu and Chelsea fought in court for years. His last appeal got chucked out in October 2018 and neither side have offered an update since, although speaking in 2018, the Blues said they were still actively pursuing the damages owed to them.

Despite his shame, and another nine-month drugs ban after a positive test for appetite suppressant sibutramine while at Fiorentina in 2010, he did resurrect his career with la Viola, scoring 54 goals in 112 appearances. But his extra curricular activities were still off the wall.

Mutu starred in a music video with rap legend Snoop Dogg, sitting in a nightclub with a gorgeous girl on his arm at a table filled with champagne and cigars of course.

Yet he also got a law degree and confessed his love of reading poetry.

He said living in Florence helped him stay calm, while he married again, tying the knot with former model and Miss Romania contestant Sandra Bachici, 15 years his junior, with whom he had a fourth child.

"Florence is home for me," Mutu explained. "People here love me and I have forgotten about the cocaine and my sad time in London."

He went on to say his agent had explained there were offers from Premier League clubs to return to England. But he insisted: "Without meaning any offence, I would not go back to London if they paid me a fortune in gold."

Mutu said: "I've got nothing against English people. They are very nice and they are crazy for football, and the Premier League is clearly a great competition, but nowhere is as good as Florence for me."