Mario Balotelli

Roberto Mancini to Mario Balotelli: Keep your shirt on after scoring

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:35 p.m. ET

Alex Dowd

Mario Balotelli has had a fantastic start to his time with Nice in France. The 26-year-old lightning rod has notched 5 goals in 3 Ligue 1 appearances for the Cote d'Azur club, showing that he still has the promise and potential that had clubs salivating over his services. It's been a happy start to a marriage for both the player and the club, but not everyone is buying in quite yet.

"He has to score at least 20 this season," Balotelli's former manager, Roberto Mancini, said in a lengthy interview with L'Equipe via Football Italia. Hitting that many goals might be a lofty request, but Mancini then went and did one better. "...Mario has to stop taking his shirt off as soon as he scores one," Mancini said.

"It should be normal for him to score.”

If that sort of thought sounds familiar, it's straight out of the "Act Like You've Been There Before" guidebook. Mancini does have a point, but he's forgetting one key point. Yes, Balotelli probably should keep his shirt on after scoring, if only to avoid the yellow card that comes along with it. Here's the kicker, though: Balotelli does whatever Balotelli wants. Especially when he's happy.

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