Eusebio Di Francesco admits “I’d coach Mario Balotelli” at Roma and that he tried to sign him for Sassuolo two years ago.
Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola claimed on Thursday that he had spoken to Roma about signing his client, and Di Francesco made no secret of his admiration for the Nice striker.
“We can’t afford to drop off anymore,” the Coach said at a Press conference for Saturday’s showdown with Napoli in Serie A.
Eusebio Di Francesco admits “I’d coach Mario Balotelli” at Roma and that he tried to sign him for Sassuolo two years ago.
Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola claimed on Thursday that he had spoken to Roma about signing his client, and Di Francesco made no secret of his admiration for the Nice striker.
“We can’t afford to drop off anymore,” the Coach said at a Press conference for Saturday’s showdown with Napoli in Serie A.
“Napoli are in great condition, both mentally and physically, and led by one of the best Coaches around.
“We drew twice against them last season but only did so with the right attitude. Despite our place in the table, we can do well against them.
“We need to pick up results because the more we keep going like this, the less chance we have of getting back into the Champions League places.
“We must grow mentally and not lose sight of our objectives at the first hurdle. I believe in a particular style of play, I listen to everything but then I decide what to do.
“The players always do what I tell them. If I don’t see any answers, I’ll say ‘goodbye’ and walk.
“Pellegrini’s fine, Nainggolan is still recovering from dental surgery and I’ll carry out my assessments tomorrow.
“El Shaarawy and Defrel are ready, they trained very well this week. Greg [Defrel] had a few more problems, but I haven’t decided anything yet.
“Balotelli? I’d coach him, I spoke to him two years ago about bringing him to Sassuolo, but nothing came of it. Still, he’s an interesting player with huge quality.”