Mino Raiola insists Mario Balotelli “would have five Ballon d’Or” if he had the mentality of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The striker is trying to rebuild his career at Nice, having struggled at Liverpool and in a loan return to Milan.
“Mario is a phenomenon, but he’s Balotelli,” Raiola smiled, speaking to Il Giornale.
“He was lucky enough to be adopted by two great people, but in a tough town [Bagnolo Mella], let’s face it: a racist one.
Mino Raiola insists Mario Balotelli “would have five Ballon d’Or” if he had the mentality of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The striker is trying to rebuild his career at Nice, having struggled at Liverpool and in a loan return to Milan.
“Mario is a phenomenon, but he’s Balotelli,” Raiola smiled, speaking to Il Giornale.
“He was lucky enough to be adopted by two great people, but in a tough town [Bagnolo Mella], let’s face it: a racist one.
“He suffered a lot when he was a child, and he’s always been that way in the head. If he had the mentality of Zlatan, with his talent he’d have won five Ballon d’Or.
“Mario is crazy, but I forgive him everything because he’s a good lad. One day he asked to borrow my Bentley. I said ‘Mario, score twice against Marseille and we’ll talk’.
“Obviously I forgot about it. Some time later my wife calls through ‘Mario is on the phone, I’ll pass him over’.
“I hear this big booming voice: ‘Mino! Keys!’. I’m like ‘the keys to what?’. He said ‘to the Bentley, I scored two goals didn’t I?’. So I gave them to him.
“He went to the yacht club and hit a pole when he was reversing. He called me, in his deep voice saying ‘Mino, I’m sorry…’
“I forgave him, I can’t be angry with him.
“I guarantee he can still become a champion. For a year and a half he’s put football at the centre of his life, the birth of his daughter changed him.
“Pia is just like Balotelli – nice, and mad!”
Raiola has a number of famous clients, and also took the time to discuss some of them.
“Ibrahimovic is the best. He turned down €100m net from the Chinese! He doesn’t want more money, he wants to win.
“I’ve been lucky, I’ve always had champions. Zlatan, [Pavel] Nedved, Maxwell and now [Blaise] Matuidi and [Gigio] Donnarumma.
“He [Donnarumma] will become even better than [Gigi] Buffon, because whoever comes in the future is always better than the past.”