Brazil legend Ronaldo joins a line of Brazilians to have their say on Mario Balotelli and warns him to not end up like his former Seleção teammate Adriano.
Balotelli has arguably made the headlines more for his behavior off the pitch than on it, and Ronaldo has not forgotten about what happened to Adriano.
The former Inter Milan striker has become a symbol of wasting his talent, as his career veered off track with depression and alcoholism.
"Balotelli has the great gift of talent, as he knows how to treat the ball a certain way and find the net," Ronaldo told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"However, it is not enough for what Balotelli could become. He mustn't use his age or his talent as an excuse to do the odd stupid thing on the pitch.
"We have all done silly things in our lives, but we must realize when it's time to stop.
"I am reminded of Adriano, although his case was very different to that of Balotelli. Adriano had incredible technique and physicality, so he could've done anything he wanted to on the pitch. However, at some point he simply couldn't do it anymore.
"The only advice I can give Balotelli is to focus on his football and not to throw away his talent."
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| Mario Balotelli must not throw away his talent with bad behavior, warns Ronaldo Photo: Getty Images |
Balotelli has arguably made the headlines more for his behavior off the pitch than on it, and Ronaldo has not forgotten about what happened to Adriano.
The former Inter Milan striker has become a symbol of wasting his talent, as his career veered off track with depression and alcoholism.
"Balotelli has the great gift of talent, as he knows how to treat the ball a certain way and find the net," Ronaldo told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"However, it is not enough for what Balotelli could become. He mustn't use his age or his talent as an excuse to do the odd stupid thing on the pitch.
"We have all done silly things in our lives, but we must realize when it's time to stop.
"I am reminded of Adriano, although his case was very different to that of Balotelli. Adriano had incredible technique and physicality, so he could've done anything he wanted to on the pitch. However, at some point he simply couldn't do it anymore.
"The only advice I can give Balotelli is to focus on his football and not to throw away his talent."
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