Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has played down reports of a rift between himself and his fiery striker Mario Balotelli.
The young Italian has taken time to adapt to the English game since his big-money move from Inter Milan last summer and he has rarely been out of the headlines due to his antics both on and off the field.
"Mario is a good lad," Mancini told Studio Sport. "He makes mistakes and needs to grow up.
"But it's not true that I tell him off. It's just that we speak a lot and one of the things I tell him is that nothing should be taken for granted and that he needs to prove he deserves his place in the team."
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| Mario Balotelli walks past his manager Roberto Mancini on the touchline as he is subsituted Photo: Getty Images |
The young Italian has taken time to adapt to the English game since his big-money move from Inter Milan last summer and he has rarely been out of the headlines due to his antics both on and off the field.
While his ability is beyond doubt, there have been question marks over Balotelli's care-free attitude given his surly nature, and at other times his behaviour has been seen as immature.
"Mario is a good lad," Mancini told Studio Sport. "He makes mistakes and needs to grow up.
"But it's not true that I tell him off. It's just that we speak a lot and one of the things I tell him is that nothing should be taken for granted and that he needs to prove he deserves his place in the team."
Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
