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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