Stars coach launches scathing Balotelli attack

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has launched an astonishing attack on Mario Balotelli insisting "there is no place in the Black Stars" for the Inter Milan striker.

The Serbian tactian has vowed that his pursuit of Italy youth international has ended after Balotelli made berating remarks about the West African country over their quest for him to play in their national team.


Rajevac is fuming over reports that Balotelli says he will never play in a Ghana jersey even though his biological parents hail from the giants of African football.


Ghana authorities have been openly chasing the youngster to play for the Black Stars but his recent comments in the Italian media about the West African country have angered the Serbian manager.


Rajevac says the Black Stars are spoilt for choice when it comes to quality players and players with Balotelli's attitude will not make the grade in the Ghana team.


"We are partly to blame. In the past, we made him look like our messiah and saviour. We kept going after him with high powered delegations," Rajevac told Football365.co.za.


"All these, made it seem as though, there won't be any Black Stars without him. But that is not true.

"Everybody knows how Ghana has players in excess and the difficulty sometimes I go through just to have my squad. To put it bluntly, this Black Stars team is spoilt for choice. The team has quality in excess and has no place for guys like Balotelli", he said.


The Serbian believes that the 20-year-old's recent interview to the Italian media on his willingness to play for Azzurri ahead of Ghana, smacks of childishness.


"I have listened to the conversation very well. It seems to me that he has already made up his mind. Fair enough, but that only solves half of his problem.


"He was talking as if, the next day, he is going to be allowed to wear the jersey of the Azzurri. It doesn't happen that way. Balotelli has a long way to go. If he thinks by snubbing Ghana he would be winning the heart of Marcello Lippi, then I am sorry, it won't happen."


Rajevac added that as long as he remains the coach of the Black Stars, Balotelli will never wear the Ghana jersey.


"As long as I continue to be the coach of the Black Stars, Mario will never get to play for my team. We have treated him with very soft and tender gloves in the past. This time, it won't happen. Mario should forget it," Rajevac said.

"Nobody will go over and talk to him to change his decision. I have no place for him so he can go ahead and dream of playing for the Azzurri which I know he won't get."


Balotelli was born to Ghanaian immigrant parents but was raised by an Italian couple.


The talented striker has never hidden his affection to play for the Azzurri and in a recent interview said: "I have never felt Ghanaian.


"My parents come from Ghana but I don't know anything about that country. I have never thought of playing for Ghana neither do I have any inclination towards the team. It is Italy or no other country."