• Premier League

Balotelli wants to be the new Ibrahimovic, Mancini claims

Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini believes Mario Balotelli "wants to imitate Zlatan [Ibrahimovic]", but his career is failing to follow the same path.

Mancini managed both players during his first spell as Inter manager, while it was Ibrahimovic who helped him win the Serie A title with two goals against Parma on the final day of the 2007-08 season.

According to Mancini, Balotelli was as talented as Ibrahimovic but has been unable to develop in the same way.

Mario Balotelli was as talented as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, according to Roberto Mancini © Getty Images

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"He has had the possibilities to do so," Mancini said. "I think he wants to imitate Zlatan, who has gained a level of experience and quality which [Balotelli] still has to find, even though he's been playing for many years now.

"He and Ibra [Ibrahimovic] were outstanding together and I sincerely hope that he does manage to become like Zlatan."

But Mancini's comments are not intended as criticism of a player he thanked for helping him win the Premier League title with City.

"That was so satisfying because we Italians are not really regarded that highly in England," Mancini told BocconiTV. "It was not quite like at Parma with Inter, but almost because we were 2-1 down in the last minute and at the time, I remember thinking that it could not end that way.

"We dominated that season, leading by eight points before falling eight points behind with five games to go.

"It's not so easy to catch United up, but in two minutes, we turned it all around. Thanks to Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko in addition to Mario Balotelli, who did a great thing by setting up Aguero while sliding in, we managed to win it."

Mancini followed that Premier League title by winning the Turkish Cup with Galatasaray last season, and now he is back at Inter, hoping to enjoy similar success to his first spell at the club, even though he does not entirely know why he agreed to return.

"I was feeling really great, planning my holidays already and preparing to celebrate my 50th birthday," he added.

"I don't know why I made this choice because I don't think you should ever go back to where you had a good time before, but maybe the affection I had for Inter, where I spent four years, led to me accepting."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd