Mancini: Balotelli's 'an extraordinary boy' - and 'an idiot'

Few know the enigmatic Mario Balotelli better than Roberto Mancini, so when the man who bossed his Italian countryman at both Inter Milan and Manchester City shares his opinion of the striker, it comes from a place of experience.

"He's an idiot," Mancini said during a conference at Rome's Luiss Guido Carli University, according to ESPN FC's Ian Holyman.

"He is the same age as my son, he made his Serie A debut very early. He's an extraordinary boy, talented, young, and like all youngsters, sometimes he does silly things," Mancini added.

"Youngsters wouldn't be youngsters if they didn't do daft things."

After making his Serie A debut with Bologna as a 17-year-old, Mancini can also provide a valid perspective on the perils of teenage footballers.

Pair that with two spells with Balotelli as his pupil at Inter and City, and Mancini is both critical and full of praise for the striker who's found his footing this season with Nice, bagging five goals in four league matches.

Mancini recruited Balotelli from Inter to City in 2010, and the Italian striker played a pivotal role in the 2011-12 Premier League title-winning campaign. Those highs were coupled with plenty of lows, notably a bathroom firework incident that the forward was lucky to escape unscathed.

"As a player, he's fantastic," Mancini offered. "I hope this experience in France, which has started very well, can get him back to the level he was at a few years ago when he was in the national team."

Balotelli's capricious career arc has resembled a roller coaster at times, and few are happier than Mancini about the striker's current form.

"He has incredible quality, and knowing him as I do, he's also a great guy."