Retired football player Johan Cruyff listens during a news conference at the Omnilife stadium in Zapopan near Guadalajara October 27, 2012. Cruyff is a sporting consultant from Guadalajara Chivas, a popular football club in Mexico.
Retired football player Johan Cruyff listens during a news conference at the Omnilife stadium in Zapopan near Guadalajara October 27, 2012. Cruyff is a sporting consultant from Guadalajara Chivas, a popular football club in Mexico. REUTERS/Alejandro Acosta

Dutch legend Johan Cruyff asserts that the antics shown by Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli over the past years can be attributed to improper education.

The Italian international has been a pain in the backside anywhere he goes, which arguably hinders him to realise his full potential. From setting his house on fire while with Manchester City to uttering expletives on live television and slugging it out with teammates, literally, Super Mario's list of crazy moments just goes on and on as days go by. His current stint in Merseyside is no exception, having previously outraged netizens by poking fun at local rivals Manchester United on social media.

Former Barcelona boss Cruyff opined that the blame shouldn't be placed entirely on the 24-year-old, but as well as on the sides that have handled mishandled him in the past.

"What I think about Balotelli as a player and as a man? We always talk about the person, I prefer to talk about education of the person," he told Italian source Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Balotelli doesn't behave well and we have to ask why."

"To me, if someone is not educated, he doesn't play."

"To me, it is not fault of the player, but of the team that makes him play."

"The problem is not Mario, but the education that was given to him."

"If he had been educated in a certain way, he wouldn't behave this way."

Balotelli has struggled to live up to his billing since moving to Anfield last summer from AC Milan. His two-goal tally in 14 appearances in all competitions - one in the Champions League and another in a Capital One Cup fixture - is a far cry from what the club and, most especially, the supporters expect from him.

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