Inter coach Roberto Mancini has spoken of how Mario Balotelli models himself on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but is still some way off being of that level.
Balotelli, now at Liverpool, played under Mancini at Inter and then at Manchester City, before moving to AC Milan where he struggled to reach the heights expected of him after a great start to his career with the Nerazzurri.
Mancini told FCInterNews.it that although he hopes the 24-year-old will one day reach the quality of Ibrahimovic, he is not there yet.
“Mario would like to emulate Ibrahimovic, but Zlatan has a few more years on him and has accumulated a degree of experience, quality, class and strength that [Balotelli], despite playing for many years, has yet to acquire,” he said, speaking at Milan’s Bocconi University.
Balotelli was just 19-years-old when Ibrahimovic left Mancini’s Inter for Barcelona but the 50-year-old claims that the Italian international learned a lot from the Swede.
“Balotelli has that potential and they were extraordinary together back in the day.
“Mario was so young, now he dwells a bit too much on so many things.
“I hope and wish for him to become like Ibrahimovic.”
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