'Would have hit Balotelli if he was my teammate'

Manchester: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted he gets so frustrated with striker Mario Balotelli that he has to stop himself from punching him. The Italian said that had he played alongside his compatriot, rather than managed him, the pair would have come to blows on a daily basis.

Mancini told the Daily Mirror: "I told Mario, 'If you played with me 10 years ago, I’d give to you every day maybe one punch in your head.'"

Balotelli was involved in a car crash in the Manchester city centre on Thursday and just last week he clashed with teammate Aleksandar Kolarov on the field. Such incidents are the latest in a long line of controversies which have served to threaten his future at the club, but his manager believes he can still realise his talent at Etihad Stadium.

"His problem is concentration, but I work with him every day," the City boss said. "I don’t speak with him every day - otherwise I would need a psychologist - but I speak with him because I don’t want him to lose his quality. Mario can be one of the top players in Europe. I don’t want him to lose his talent."

Mancini, who openly revealed he does not trust the former Inter Milan striker earlier this week, also insisted Balotelli's spat with Kolarov was over and done with the moment the damaging 3-3 draw against Sunderland had finished.

"What happened with Mario and Kolarov on the pitch, these situations can happen in difficult moments between two teammates," said the Italian. "It’s not a good thing but this can happen when you are so nervous in a difficult moment. But after the game everything was finished."

"But I’m not worried [by Balotelli’s conduct]. What is important is that after the game everything was okay. We didn’t have any problems between Mario and Kolarov. I don’t like this but I can understand this situation can happen."