Football
ESPN staff 7y

Mario Balotelli 'should've been' at level of Cristiano Ronaldo - Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini says Mario Balotelli had the talent to be at the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo and can only blame himself for coming up short.

Mancini coached Manchester City to the Premier League title in 2012, a season in which Balotelli scored 13 goals, but the striker found that form difficult to duplicate following a series of off-the-field incidents that preceded his move to Liverpool in 2014.

Balotelli has rediscovered some of his early promise this season with Nice, and Mancini said the enigmatic forward can improve even more.

"Mario is a really good kid, but a bit ruled by his instinct," Mancini said on TMW Radio. "Apart from when he does something daft, but those can happen when you're young.

"He has so much quality that, when he started, he should've been at the level of Ronaldo. If he isn't there now, then at least some of that is his own fault.

"Now he is 26 years old and can do a little more."

Balotelli, who has 16 goals in all competitions for Nice this season, also joined the program and admitted he was returning to form after a down spell.

"When we won the Premier League title with Manchester City is my happiest memory of Mancini," Balotelli said. "Having said that, I have many memories of the coach, both at Inter and Manchester City, mostly of him telling me off!

"I had a few problems over the last two seasons and played really badly. Now I am back on track, let's say."

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