Mancini tells Balotelli 'you need to smile to play football'

Category: Football

Publish Date: 12-23-2010 11:43 PM -0500

Man City manager Roberto Mancini has weighed in on Mario Balotelli's comments the other day about how Lionel Messi is the only player who is "a little stronger" than him. And, like everyone who isn't named Mario Balotelli, he doesn't exactly agree.

From Reuters:

"I like that a player is confident in himself... (but) only if you play well every game and you score every game maybe you can say this," Mancini told a news conference.

"If he thinks what he said I think he must show (it) every game."

So, wait, two goals in seven matches this season doesn't make you the second best player in the world? What kind of impossible standards does Roberto Mancini have?

As it turns out -- pretty impossible. Not only does he want Balotelli to score in every match if he's going to compare himself to Messi, but he also wants him to lighten up and smile more as he does it. 

"You need to smile to play football. That is the best thing you can do," he said.

Is that a new rule? If so, it's a good thing Eric Cantona is retired. Come to think of it, you really don't see many footballers over the age of nine skipping up the pitch with a big grin on their face. Anyway, it's hard to accuse Balotelli of not having a sense of humor. After all, the guy did wear a glove hat this week. 

Photo: Getty Images

Read more sport in Football