Luca Toni accepts Mario Balotelli ‘will have done something’ to warrant Giorgio Chiellini’s attack but claims the Juventus captain should have been more direct.
Chiellini slammed Balotelli in his new book for being ‘negative’ and once ‘deserving a slap’ while on Italy duty, prompting the Brescia striker to hit back on Instagram.
Luca Toni accepts Mario Balotelli ‘will have done something’ to warrant Giorgio Chiellini’s attack but claims the Juventus captain should have been more direct.
Chiellini slammed Balotelli in his new book for being ‘negative’ and once ‘deserving a slap’ while on Italy duty, prompting the Brescia striker to hit back on Instagram.
“Books are peculiar,” Toni told Christian Vieri during an Instagram Live session.
“When you write one, you also have to find things that make headlines. I think they both were right, but they were wrong to behave like they did.
“Of course, if it’s something he never said to [Balotelli’s] face then it’s not nice, but certainly Balotelli will have done something.
“It’s even worse when certain discussions spill on to social media. It would be better if they talked and clarified things.
“Judging by Balotelli’s response, these are things that were never said to his face. You have to understand where the truth lies and know the situation.
“Then, at a time like this, when there’s little to talk about… Of course, it would be nice if the season resumed with Chiellini versus Balotelli…”
The former Fiorentina and Bayern Munich hitman then discussed what it was like to face the veteran defender.
“When I was playing on the pitch, Giorgio was No 1. He’d mark you and foul you, but he’d be the one that fell to the ground and the referees would side with him. He was smarter than me!
“He really was a tough cookie. Facing someone like him is a problem for a striker. He’s one of the last truly great man-markers.
“Now it’s fashionable to play more zonally, and I must say Chiello is improving in this regard.”