City chief tells Balotelli to set better example

LONDON (AFP) –

Manchester City‘s Italian striker Mario Balotelli controls the ball during his side’s Premier League match against Bolton at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England, in March 2012. Manchester City’s controversial striker has been warned he must set a better example with his behaviour on and off the pitch.

Manchester City’s controversial striker Mario Balotelli has been warned he must set a better example with his behaviour on and off the pitch.

Balotelli has been involved in a number of high-profile and often bizarre incidents since joining City from Inter Milan in 2010 and Brian Marwood, the Premier League champions’ chief football operations officer, admits the Italian needs to present a better image of the club.

The 22-year-old has been involved in bust-ups with team-mates, threw a dart at a City youth team player and set off a firework in his own bathroom.

Earlier this month, Balotelli angered City manager Roberto Mancini by walking straight down the tunnel rather than staying to support his team-mates after being substituted and Marwood is disappointed with his behaviour.

“I think that it’s important to make a good example,” Marwood was quoted as saying by several English newspapers on Sunday.

“I think – and we all know who we are talking about – that you will get people within the system who do not show the right values and the right behaviour.

“In the main, we have a fantastic group of players here. I look at Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart, Gareth Barry, Joleon Lescott.

“We have a lot of players who think and behave in the right way. You have to make sure they’re the role models.”