Mario told to grow up

THE HIGHEST paid player in Italy thinks the Premier League is “more exciting” than Serie A, which suggests Daniele De Rossi fancies earning even more from Manchester City, where he is admired.

Relations might not be though, with Mario Balotelli.

English football’s most combustible star was smashing balls in on the training ground here in a B-team that replicated the starting XI’s fluid style.

Roy Hodgson’s men can expect Italy’s defenders to move the ball to a central midfield pivot, Andrea Pirlo, then see it swept around at dangerous angles. But will Balotelli be picked to take on his City teammate, Joleon Lescott, and Chelsea’s John Terry? From De Rossi came a weariness that speaks of frustration with Balotelli’s eccentricity.

An extrapolation of what De Rossi said is: “He needs to grow up.” Which is no more than Roberto Mancini said all season.

At City, Mancini’s paternalistic streak softens his irritation when Balotelli erupts or mopes about. In Krakow patience seems thinner.

Balotelli was taken off and replaced by Antonio Di Natale against Spain and Croatia, but came on to score Italy’s second against Ireland in a 2-0 win.

In the Spain game, he tried to walk one chance into the goal and was

warm, removed almost immediately.

As with City, the professional oddball who stamped on Scott Parker’s head in a game against Spurs is on the margin fighting to get back in.

Might he be a disciplinary risk against English players who know where his fuse is and how to light it?

“Up to a point,” said De Rossi. “We’ve talked a lot about Balotelli. He’s a great player, so if he wants to grow, he has to know how to react to this situation.

“Those who don’t play sometimes cannot be happy. But I’ve seen him very calm. We are here to win Euro 2012. So, everybody has to take his own responsibility.”

In a 38-game league season volatility can be spread and absorbed, but in the maximum six-match dash of a European Championship there is no time to indulge egocentrics.

England’s biggest problem in Kiev on Sunday night is not Balotelli or Antonio Cassano (the other favoured striker) so much as a clever and tough Italian midfield, led by Pirlo, De Rossi and Thiago Motta, who will stretch the capacity of Parker and Gerrard to endure another marathon shift.

De Rossi is a defensive midfielder, but dreams of emulating England’s captain.

In Kiev’s Olympic Stadium, England can expect to see Pirlo dictate the tempo – on the ground – a problem Wayne Rooney might have to solve by pressing Italy’s orchestrator from his number 10 position.

“Pirlo is a great player,” De Rossi enthused. — ©The Daily Telegraph