Mario Balotelli is dropped again, but Jose Mourinho assures he’s not enjoying this strict role. “One day he’ll understand who is helping him. He needs to grow.”
The 18-year-old striker has been frozen out of the Inter squad for Sunday’s match with Torino amid reports he burst into tears at the end of Friday’s training session.
“Balotelli is the same as the other players for me, even if he is young and people expect a great deal of him,” said the Coach.
“I want to point out he is a good lad. Some would like him to have a high profile, but he is not ready for this – both on the field and off it.
“Don’t think I enjoy leaving him out. What’s happening is hurting me, but I think one day he will understand who is helping him and who is not. He has all the time to become a great player and a great man.”
Mourinho held up another of Inter’s youth team products as an example. Davide Santon turned 18 earlier this month and has played the last three games on the trot.
“Perhaps Santon’s personality helps him. On the field he has a natural running style and is adapting to a new role. He needs stability, but ‘the child’ is talented, happy to play and stays quiet, seeing as his Coach won’t let him talk to the media.”
The Nerazzurri go into Sunday’s game against Torino without Adriano and Sulley Ali Muntari, who were suspended for violent conduct.
“We all saw from the footage and the length of the ban that it was a mistake to send Muntari off,” Mou said of the dismissal in a 2-0 win at Catania midweek.
“The referee was close by, so I was surprised at the decision. There is so much talk of video evidence, of the kind used to suspend Adriano, so why not use it to make up for a refereeing error? Muntari has matured and Inter are a disciplined squad.”
The red card did not stop them breaking three points clear of Juventus at the top of the Serie A table and they could increase that lead by welcoming a Torino side in crisis.
“Torino do not deserve their current position in the standings, as they have quality players and won’t give us an inch.
“They will be defensive, seeking the counter-attack with Alessandro Rosina, Rolando Bianchi or Nicola Amoruso, but it will be easy or tough depending on our own approach.
“In the last month we have come to realise that we make the difference. We saw from the start against Atalanta it would go wrong, while in Catania we had the right mentality.”
Inter squad: Toldo, Julio Cesar, Orlandoni; Cordoba, Maxwell, Maicon, Burdisso, Rivas, Santon; Zanetti, Stankovic, Figo, Jimenez, Cambiasso, Mancini, Quaresma; Ibrahimovic, Cruz, Crespo
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