The Nerazzurri coach is optimistic about his side’s future and fears Mario Balotelli could throw away his career just like Adriano

Roberto Mancini has warned that Mario Balotelli is in danger of wasting his entire career unless he changes his attitude significantly.

The Liverpool striker has had a tumultuous career, having been no stranger to controversy and had fall outs with Jose Mourinho during his time at Inter as well as Mancini when the pair worked together at Manchester City. 

The Italy striker was deemed suprlus to requirements at AC Milan before being sold to the Reds in the summer for €20 million, where he has failed to make any kind of impression.

Mancini says he has been surprised by the 24-year-old’s demise and feels he is in danger of falling even further.

“I have not heard from Mario since we worked together at Manchester City,” he told Corriere della Sera.

“He was still a kid when we were together at Inter. He would do anything I asked him and he also behaved well at City. It has all gone downward a bit since he left City. I thought he would do well at Milan, but it didn’t happen. 

“Mario is at risk of following the same path as Adriano. I hope that he wakes up one morning and realises that he is wasting everything.”

Mancini returned to Inter this season after replacing Walter Mazzarri at the helm and the Giuseppe Meazza side currently sit only ninth in the Italian top flight.

However, Mancini has little doubt they are destined for greatness again in the not too distant future and thinks they can fight for domestic glory again next term.

“Inter need time in order to become great again,” he added.

“We lost the first two games, but have rapidly made progress. We are taking the right steps. I am here at Inter because I think the club can become great again.

“It irritates me a bit to talk about finishing third this season, but Inter will be challenging for the Serie A title again next season.”

The Juventus boss was full of praise for the France midfielder after his showing against Napoli and ruled out a bid for Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli

Massimiliano Allegri has tipped Paul Pogba to emulate the achievements of countrymen Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini at Juventus.

The Frenchman opened the scoring in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Napoli and has been one of his side’s key performers this term as the champions target a fourth consecutive Scudetto.

After an impressive showing for Juve at the Stadio San Paolo, Allegri sees no reason why he cannot achieve similar feats to those of France greats Zidane and Platini.

Zidane won world and European honours on the international stage, with Platini also claiming the latter prize, and both earned two Serie A titles in Turin.

“I hope that Pogba is able to come close to achieving what Zidane and Platini achieved at Juventus,” the Juve coach told RAI of the 21-year-old, who already has two Scudetti to his name.

“He is still very young, and has all the quality to do so.

“He scored a wonderful goal [against Napoli] and played reasonably well after the goal, but I think he has the quality to do much better.”

Allegri has also ruled out a potential move for Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli.

The former AC Milan boss revealed his admiration for the striker, whom he coached during his spell at San Siro, but says he is not a realistic target for Juventus.

He continued: “I think this [reports of a bid] is a made-up story.

“Balotelli has done very well with me but he belongs to Liverpool and he is not a player that can arrive at Juventus.”

The Juventus boss has called on the Liverpool striker to demonstrate his true qualities and has described Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Adnan Januzaj as “great players”

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has praised Mario Balotelli’s ability and admits “all coaches like to train the best players”.

The 24-year-old has failed to score a Premier League goal since joining Liverpool from AC Milan for €20 million last summer and has since found himself ousted from Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI.

The striker enjoyed some of the finest form in his career to date under Allegri at San Siro, scoring 12 goals in 13 games in the second half of the 2012-13 season, and the 47-year-old has called on him to show his quality again.

“Mario had a good season with me, I think. Unfortunately he’s built up a character outside the world of football and everyone talks about what he does off the pitch,” Allegri was quoted as saying by Tuttosport.

“I think he has some good technical and physical qualities, but the time came when it was up to him to prove his worth.

“All coaches like to train the best players. But Balotelli is a Liverpool player and I think first he has to think about playing well, sacrificing and giving his best – especially to show everyone who says he is an important player.”

Juventus have been frustrated in the January transfer window so far, with top target Wesley Sneijder set to stay with Galatasaray, prompting Allegri to admit that signing quality players halfway through the campaign is difficult.

However, fresh reports in Italy have emerged linking the Serie A leaders with potential bids for Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj, and Allegri professed his admiration for both.

“Mkhitaryan and Januzaj are two great players but I don’t know if the clubs will sell them,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.