I'm no bad boy! 'Super' Mario Balotelli claims he's just a pussycat at heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koiaDPL4nIEendofvid
[starttext]
By Matt Lawton Chief Football Correspondent

Making friends: Balotelli has been on the charm offensive since his arrival at Eastlands


Professionalism, endeavour and humility are the three words Mario Balotelli has engraved on the gold pendant that hangs from his neck.

'It was a present from my mother,' he explained yesterday after being unveiled as Manchester City's latest signing.

His mother clearly knows him well, because Balotelli's past would suggest that he needs to be reminded to follow what reads like a code on a daily basis.

Having spent two years with him at Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho certainly wouldn't associate the young Italy striker with such qualities. Mourinho considered him unmanageable.

'I can't educate him,' the new manager of Real Madrid said after last season's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. His former team-mates at the San Siro have not been terribly complimentary either.

After throwing his shirt to the ground at the end of that particular European encounter, having clashed with supporters during his brief spell as a substitute, Balotelli was branded 'a child' with 'mental problems' by Dejan Stankovic.

By then he had already clashed with Marco Materazzi in the tunnel. As the 20-year-old demonstrated yesterday, he can display a bit of an attitude.


Belief: The time they spent together in Italy persuaded Balotelli to hook up with Mancini once again

The inevitable questions about his chequered history were met with a flat refusal to discuss the issue. 'He's not my coach any more so I don't want to discuss him,' he said in response to Mourinho's comments, which, while true, rather missed the point.

For the most part inside the cramped media room at City's Carrington training base, Balotelli spoke in Italian. But he understands English and, before explaining the origin of his pendant, he showed off his language skills on one other occasion.

'I am not a bad boy,' he said with a wry smile. It's fair to say he didn't come across as much of a hellraiser as he dined in one of Manchester's better restaurants on Sunday night.

Having sat a few tables away, this observer noted only the stunning young lady who appeared to be his girlfriend. But his arrival has been met with the obvious concerns, and questions that could yet be levelled at Roberto Mancini.


Debut boy: Balotelli made his full international debut just days before switching to the Premier League


If Craig Bellamy has been dispatched to Cardiff because of his divisive nature, it does seem a little strange to replace one controversial figure with another.

But Mancini seems to think he can succeed where Mourinho failed and enjoy a good relationship with the precociously gifted striker.

City's manager said Mourinho's assessment of Balotelli - he once famously gave him 'a zero' for a performance - was 'unfair'.

'I know Mario and I don't think I will have a problem with him,' he said. 'I worked with him for a year and I didn't have any problems with him. I think it was unfair (what Mourinho said) because he's a young guy and we all make mistakes when we are young guys.

'But he has everything to be one of the best players in the world. He can grow as a player and he can grow as a man, and I hope, while he can make us better, we can make him better.'


Tight-lipped: The Italian striker declined to talk about his former manager Jose Mourinho

Yesterday Balotelli received the support of Carlo Ancelotti, and, while the Chelsea manager was never likely to side with Mourinho, his views are worth noting.

Ancelotti spoke of Balotelli's 'physical and technical strength', describing him as 'a great player' who is already 'adapted to the Premier League'. He then said he would help ensure that City are 'ready to fight for first place'.

Balotelli just seemed pleased to be in England; a fresh start after a difficult end to his time at Inter and a chance to escape the racist abuse that sadly remains an issue in Italian football.

'As far as I know there is no racism in English football,' he said. 'But there were two or three incidents in Italy that were bad. I hope I don't have them again.

'I decided I wanted to leave Inter after the Champions League game against Barcelona, though. Every day the papers in Milan were full of stories and it became difficult to live there.

'I had no real problems with my team-mates but outside influences persuaded me to leave.' He insisted City were his first choice.

'The reason I wanted to be here was because of the manager,' he said. 'He always showed faith in me when I played for him and if Roberto wasn't here I probably wouldn't have come to City.

'But it's also a good environment for me to improve and, as I said, I am not a bad boy. They say this in Italy but I am just a normal guy.

I think I will fit in here because the Premier League is ideal for a striker, certainly compared to Italy where it is more tactical.'

He did, however, make a point of reminding his audience that he remains a young man. 'Mistakes can always occur,' he said. They undoubtedly will but recognising a need to avoid them amounts to a good start.

source: dailymail

[endtext]