Advertisement
Mario Balotelli: has failed to impress at Anfield.

Cruyff: Balotelli attitude comes from lack of education

The Italy international completed a €20 million move to Liverpool in the summer but has struggled so far and has been criticised by the former Ajax boss.

FORMER BARCELONA BOSS Johan Cruyff claims Mario Balotelli’s poor form at Liverpool stems from a lack of education.

Balotelli joined the Reds in a €20 million summer deal from AC Milan but has yet to score a Premier League goal, his two strikes thus far coming against Ludogorets in the Champions League and Swansea City in the League Cup.

His misfiring displays have led many to question the striker’s attitude, his languid style of play drawing criticism from fans and pundits alike, but Cruyff believes that Balotelli is not entirely at fault because he was not taught how to behave in his younger years.

“What I think about Balotelli as a player and as a man? We always talk about the person, I prefer to talk about education of the person,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Balotelli doesn’t behave well and we have to ask why.

“To me, if someone is not educated, he doesn’t play. To me, it is not fault of the player, but of the team that makes him play. The problem is not Mario, but the education that was given to him.

“If he had been educated in a certain way, he wouldn’t behave this way.”

No Cork return for Liam Miller as ex-Ireland international joins Melbourne FC

Keith Fahey has signed for Shamrock Rovers

Close
18 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Moonshine
    Favourite Moonshine
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 12:36 PM

    You could say that about a lot of people in society.

    176
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Mallon
    Favourite Paul Mallon
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 4:00 PM

    I wonder what his parents think about this statement, seems very personal and perhaps cryuff should mind his own

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Davin Lynch
    Favourite Davin Lynch
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 5:21 PM

    Which parents?

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Piotrek Król
    Favourite Piotrek Król
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 2:58 PM

    What I gather from this is that Cruyff thinks Balotelli is a pup because Inter Milan and Man City didn’t slap his behind hard enough as a brazen youngster.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daithi Mcmahon
    Favourite Daithi Mcmahon
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 1:17 PM

    Because smart people never have an attitude Johan,invented one turn and now he’s Freud .

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Dunne
    Favourite Paul Dunne
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 2:42 PM

    nonsense he was a fantastic player

    57
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Brogan
    Favourite Daniel Brogan
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 2:55 PM

    In fairness, I don’t think Cryuff is referring to an academic education or “book smarts” here. Sounds more like he’s referring to an education about how to behave in a society, which maybe he thinks Balotelli never received, possibly due to this issues in his early childhood. Just a theory that’s all…

    86
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daithi Mcmahon
    Favourite Daithi Mcmahon
    Report
    Nov 12th 2014, 12:09 AM

    What issues Daniel,give us your insight into ballotellis childhood

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daithi Mcmahon
    Favourite Daithi Mcmahon
    Report
    Nov 12th 2014, 12:15 AM

    And we know he was adopted,but you seem to know the deeper stuff

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Donal O'Brien
    Favourite Donal O'Brien
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 1:36 PM

    Cruff sounds like a pompous jumped up narcissistic jackass in this carefully edited soundbite.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Hairdresser
    Favourite Sean Hairdresser
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 2:39 PM

    Luigi Baloradio hasnt a clue

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Peter Pan
    Favourite Peter Pan
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 2:53 PM

    What’s Johan excuse?

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ronan Commons
    Favourite Ronan Commons
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 7:08 PM

    Hey peter pan I thought that you were just an imaginary charachter. Its great to here that you are a real person and not just in my head

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ronan Commons
    Favourite Ronan Commons
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 7:08 PM

    Hey peter pan I thought that you were just an imaginary charachter. Its great to here that you are a real person and not just in my head

    4
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Peter Pan
    Favourite Peter Pan
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 7:18 PM

    You can say that again

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ronan Commons
    Favourite Ronan Commons
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 7:59 PM

    Peter pan you are my hero

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ronan Commons
    Favourite Ronan Commons
    Report
    Nov 11th 2014, 7:59 PM

    Peter pan you are my hero

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Owen Cullen
    Favourite Owen Cullen
    Report
    Nov 12th 2014, 1:14 PM

    Balotelli is a chap, that’s all. He scored freely with inter and city because he had free reign in his personal life, whether it be right or wrong. What I think Cruyff is getting at is if the right coach had channelled that earlier, he really would be unstoppable.

    For the short term, I think Liverpool need to loosen the knot, in a controlled manner, they have him in at the right time to get his confidence and form back.

    No more fireworks in bathrooms, but send him paint balling the day before a match with some teammates to get the blood going. I’m sure there would be an almost instant difference in the player.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.