• Premier League

Marwood: Balotelli needs to set a better example

ESPN staff
October 14, 2012
Focus on Mario Balotelli

Manchester City's football administrator, Brian Marwood, has criticised Mario Balotelli for being a poor role model to the club's youngsters.

Marwood urged the Italian to copy captain Vincent Kompany and the senior players in Roberto Mancini's squad, saying they set the right example to the next generation.

The controversial Balotelli was rebuked by assistant manager David Platt last week for heading straight down the tunnel, rather than watching his team-mates, after being substituted in the 3-0 win over Sunderland.

And Marwood believes it is vital that City, who are building a new £200 million training centre in their bid to develop talent, have players who display the required professionalism.

"I think that it's important to make a good example," he told the Sunday Mirror, when asked if Balotelli is a good role model.

"I think - and we all know who we are talking about - that you will get people within the system who do not show the right values and the right behaviour.

"In the main, we have a fantastic group of players here. I look at [Pablo] Zabaleta, I look at Kompany, I look at Joe Hart, Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott.

"I think we have a lot of players who can behave in the right way. You just have to make sure that they are the role models."

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