Balotelli refuses Inter call-up, report

Troubled teenage Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli has refused to join up with his team-mates for Wednesday’s trip to Catania, the Gazzetto dello Sport said.

Balotelli has not played for Inter this month, being selected for the bench only once, in the 2-1 Coppa Italia victory against AS Roma a week ago.

He spent the entire evening on the sidelines and for Inter’s other matches this month he has not even made the match-day squad.

Coach Jose Mourinho seems to be sticking to his assertion earlier this month that Balotelli would be excluded from playing time until the end of the January transfer window as a punishment for poor attitude and application in training and for pushing for a loan move away from the San Siro.

However, that stance does not seem to be paying dividends with the 18-year-old Italy under-21 star, who is the son of Ghanian immigrants.

Inter revealed that he has been left out of the squad to face Catania “for disciplinary reasons” but Gazzetta went further by printing a transcript from a supposed conversation that happened between Balotelli and Mourinho.

Gazzetta claims that Mourinho originally included the striker in his list of 21 players selected for the trip to Sicily, but with only 18 lacing their boots on the day of the match, that was no guarantee that Balotelli would even be on the bench.

And instead of travelling with the squad, he went home.

In a meeting with Mourinho, Balotelli again asked to move to West Ham, whose manager Gianfranco Zola coached Balotelli at Italy under-21 level.

“Why won’t you let me go to England,” Balotelli asked Mourinho, according to an unnamed source close to the player.

“I don’t think it will be any easier for you over there,” replied Mourinho.

Balotelli then asked to have a meeting with Inter president Massimo Moratti, who tried to persuade the youngster that he is very much a part of the club’s plans.

But Balotelli was not convinced and went AWOL and continues to fail to live up to Mourinho’s strict disciplinary code.

Even before then, his chances become increasingly limited with the Portuguese coach preferring the untouchable Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Brazilian Adriano up front.

Back in November when talk was first mooted about a possible January loan move for Balotelli, the former Chelsea boss said he would be better served remaining at the club and learning how to train.

“As far as I’m concerned a young boy like him cannot allow himself to train less than people like (Luis) Figo, (Ivan) Cordoba or (Javier) Zanetti,” said Mourinho.

“I can’t accept that from someone who is still a nobody, who hasn’t made it yet, who is still a talent with potential.

“He needs to train harder, to understand what are the important things for me which I think are important for him and his future.

“Because if he was to train half as hard as players like Zanetti and the others, he would be one of the best in the world. But he only trains 25 percent as hard.

“Hence in January he will definitely stay here to learn how to train well.”

However two months later things had not improved, with Mourinho saying earlier this month: “Nothing has changed, neither Balotelli’s way of training nor his attitude.

“His brother (and agent) has made it clear that Mario wants to go out on loan but I will wait until the end of the transfer window after which he will understand that he has to stay.

“Maybe then he will change his attitude and return to the first team fold.”

His latest indiscretion may see that return delayed longer than the beginning of February.