Buffon: ‘Italy, call Balotelli’

Mario Balotelli “deserves to be taken into consideration” for Italy, according to captain Gianluigi Buffon.

The Nice striker has been in fine form over the past two seasons, and has been linked with a return to Serie A when his contract expires at the end of this season.

“Regardless of whether I’d see him on the pitch again or not, I’d be happy if Mario returned to Italy,” Buffon said, speaking with Tiki Taka.

“He’d have the chance to prove that he has 100 per cent matured, and that he has what we saw as a lad or an unfinished player - i.e the ability to be a champion, to show that consistently.

“That has to be Mario’s challenge, from now until he stops playing.

“The national team? I think that Mario, for what he’s done and is doing over these two years deserves to be paid attention to and to be taken into consideration.

“In the end we’re talking about a talent who maybe never had consistency as his strong point, but Italian football hopes he has completely matured.

“I’ve seen few - maybe only [Francesco] Totti who have that power and accuracy of shooting, there’s truly no equal.

“Among the talents I forgot our friend Antonio Cassano, because Cassano is definitely one of the talents who should be put alongside these players.”

Buffon was then asked if he’d given Gigio Donnarumma the green light to carry on his legacy in the national team.

“It’s not like I gave it to him, he won it and deserved it with his performances over these years and the talent he’s displayed.

“Alisson? In my opinion Alisson is only a surprise for those who don’t know goalkeepers, and the role of the goalkeeper in general because I’d already spotted him and was aware of him for two or three years.

“He’d always struck me, above all for the calmness with which he approaches games and simplifies his saves at all times, sometimes making them seem even inoffensive, even in situations which could be a bit delicate.

“That gives calm and security to the team.

“Wojciech Szczesny? We’re really good friends. We’re very close, because at the end of the day we’ve created a wonderful union and collaboration.

“Every time Tek plays he’s a protagonist, he’s won us so many points and has allowed us to still be so close to Napoli.

“He wants us to call him Tek, because his name and surname are unpronounceable and he found a way to help everyone.”

Having given his view on the goalkeepers, the 40-year-old was then asked about forwards…

“I think that Ronaldo, il Fenomeno, at Inter was something incredible. At that time we hardly ever saw players with that physicality, that power, that speed, that technique.

“Now maybe a [Lionel] Messi has those qualities, even if he's not as powerful. At the time though he [Ronaldo] really looked like an alien against humans.”