Lippi - Balotelli must wait

Too much pressure on Balotelli

By Giscard Gourizro   Last updated: 6th September 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Lippi - Balotelli must wait

Balotelli: Not yet ready

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Italian coach Marcello Lippi has confirmed he does not yet feel teenage striking sensation Mario Balotelli is ready to step up to the full national team.

18-year old Balotelli, nicknamed Super Mario, exploded onto the Serie A scene last year with some vital Scudetto goals for Inter and further enhanced his growing reputation with a strike in the 1-1 Under 21 game with Greece on Friday.

"Is he ready for the national team? In my view no," Lippi told Raisport.

"We live in an era where everything is rushed too quickly; in fact, we'd do well to stop calling him 'Super Mario' or 'phenomenon' as we risk ruining the player."

So determined is Balotelli to play for the Azzuri he has rejected claims from Inter team-mate and Ghana international Sulley Muntary that he should have committed himself to Ghana, birth place of his immigrant parents.

"I am Italian, I feel Italian and I will always defend Italian colours. I love my parents, however it never came into my head to represent Ghana," he said.

Italy begin their defence of the World Cup against Cyprus on Saturday.