Mario Balotelli says England cant win the World Cup... they are no real rivals for Italy By Sam Cunningham 22:30 29 May 2014, updated 22:30 29 May 2014 Facebook Twitter Click to open Pinterest Google Plus Reddit Stumble Upon Digg it LinkedIn Email Click to close 50 shares 72 comments Balotelli confident of beating England in first World Cup game Three Lions dont have players that are used to getting past quarter-final Mario Balotelli has already written off England’s chances of winning the World Cup. Italy face England in Manaus on June 14 in the opening game of their tournament. And Balotelli has already begun to fan the flames ahead of the fixture by questioning the big-tournament mentality of England’s players. No sweat: Mario Balotelli says England wont win the World Cup this summer, and are not Italys rivals Cracking up: The two teams face each other in their first game in Brazil, but Balotelli isnt worried Mario Balotelli interviews Mario Balotelli before the World Cup MORE... Gianluigi Buffon says Italy will go further than England and Uruguay at the World Cup Michael Owen tips England to knock Italy out and progress from World Cup group Steven Gerrard says England dont fear Luis Suarez as he tips Liverpool team- mate Jordan Henderson to shine at the World Cup David Cameron chats to Roy Hodgson, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard as he wishes England team good luck for the World Cup in St Georges Park visit ‘I don’t look at England as a team that can win the World Cup,’ he said. ‘They have some good players, but they are no real rivals for Italy. ‘I am not saying that Italy are favourites, but we have the mentality and experienced players to surprise people — I don’t think England have that. ‘We have players who have won the World Cup, I don’t think England have a player who knows what it is like to play past the quarter-final.’ The former Manchester City striker will be aiming to damage England’s chances of progressing through a tough group with Uruguay and Costa Rica. Balotelli was notorious for his erratic off- field antics during three years in England, after he joined City from Inter Milan for £24million in 2010. He scored 30 goals in 49 starts for City, helping them win the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield. Blow: Balotelli says England dont have a player who knows what its like to get past a quarter-final Joking around: Balotelli plays a prank on team-mate Andrea Pirlo during training on Wednesday And the 23-year-old is confident that Italy will kick off their campaign with a victory over England. ‘In the opening game we have to respect England because it is important to get off to a good start,’ he said. ‘They have maybe two or three players who can hurt us, but we feel well prepared for the tournament and expect to start off with a win.’ MORE... Gianluigi Buffon says Italy will go further than England and Uruguay at the World Cup Michael Owen tips England to knock Italy out and progress from World Cup group Steven Gerrard says England dont fear Luis Suarez as he tips Liverpool team- mate Jordan Henderson to shine at the World Cup David Cameron chats to Roy Hodgson, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard as he wishes England team good luck for the World Cup in St Georges Park vis
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 09:24:16 +0000