Ronaldo praises Italian but hopes he doesn’t fail to live up to expectations.
Former Brazil striker Ronaldo has warned Mario Balotelli not to waste his talent, and has told him to step up in the Maracana in the Confederations Cup.
The Milan striker had an injury scare on Friday, but is expected to recover in time for Italy’s first game of the tournament, which sees them take on Mexico on Sunday.
However, Ronaldo had a few words of advice for the 22-year-old, stating that he is a very talented player and must not waste it like his former team-mate Adriano.
“Balotelli has talent. He touches the ball in a certain way and scores goals,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“At the Maracana stadium you see who the real players are and who’s just a bluff. I advise Balotelli to enjoy the atmosphere.
“I advise Balotelli not to throw away his talent, like Adriano did,” he concluded.
The former Inter and Brazil front-man continually battled trouble with alcohol, and after an impressive spell with Inter he was unable to overcome his woes with disappointing spells at the likes of Corinthians and Roma.
While Balotelli doesn’t suffer from the same issues, Ronaldo is clearly hopeful that the youngster can fulfil his potential and win silverware on the pitch by using his talents in the right way. He believes that starts at the Maracana, where Balotelli will have the opportunity to make his mark in the Confederations Cup.
The former Manchester City striker has been much improved since his switch back to Italy in January, growing into a real leader of the Milan squad as he helped them clinch a Champions League berth on the last day of the season.
He will now hope to deliver in Brazil over the coming fortnight, with a view to using it as a rehearsal for the World Cup. Having stepped up at Euro 2012, all eyes will be on whether “Super Mario” can lead the Azzurri to glory.
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