Mancini: Balotelli must play
MancHeSTer city manager roberto Mancini has advised Italy coach cesare Prandelli to play Mario Balotelli from the start against england.
The azzurri take on england in Sunday’s euro 2012 quarter-final in Kiev and Mancini said: “Mario should always play. He is the best and, with him, the national team is much stronger.”
Prandelli did not start the 21-year-old for the first time at the european championship in Monday’s 2-0 win over the republic of Ireland but he came off the bench and scored his first goal in the tournament.
“Italy are much stronger if Balotelli plays,” Mancini said. “If you look at the other day, he [Balotelli] came on, made an impact in the game and scored a splendid goal.
“I consider Mario the best Italian striker. Mario is a champion and champions help you to win things.”
Mancini also praised his fellow Italian Fabio capello, roy Hodgson’s predecessor as england coach.
Mancini said: “You can see the work of a good and experienced coach like capello is in this team.
“roy Hodgson is an Italian englishman. He is intelligent, good and crafty – the right man to continue capello’s work. england wait for their opponents and hit them on the counter-attack.
“This is the kind of football that we, Italians, were masters at for a long time.” QUARTER-FINALS Last night
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