FIGC President Gabriele Gravina says Moise Kean ‘reminds me’ of Mario Balotelli but has urged the Juventus striker to be ‘more dedicated’ than his fellow Italian.
Kean marked his full Italy debut with a goal against Finland on Saturday, whereas Balotelli – once hailed as the Azzurri’s future – continues to find himself in and out of the squad ahead of his 29th birthday.
“Kean is an extraordinary lad, with incredible technical potential,” Gravina told Rai Radio.
FIGC President Gabriele Gravina says Moise Kean ‘reminds me’ of Mario Balotelli but has urged the Juventus striker to be ‘more dedicated’ than his fellow Italian.
Kean marked his full Italy debut with a goal against Finland on Saturday, whereas Balotelli – once hailed as the Azzurri’s future – continues to find himself in and out of the squad ahead of his 29th birthday.
“Kean is an extraordinary lad, with incredible technical potential,” Gravina told Rai Radio.
“However, Mancini is right. He still has a lot of work to do. He’s fit very well into the group and when he says he learns a lot from Cristiano Ronaldo, it shows he’s also a very attentive lad.
“He reminds me of Mario Balotelli a bit, but I hope he is more dedicated to his personal growth so any parallels or criticisms are avoided.”
Gravina then revealed Ramy Shehata, the 13-year-old who alerted police that his school bus had been hijacked, saving the lives of the 51 children on board, was invited to meet the Italy squad.
“It’s a great pleasure for us to invite Ramy to meet the national team: he’s a little hero with so much courage and passion,” he concluded.
Ramy, who is of Egyptian extraction, will be given Italian citizenship for his heroic role in the incident.