WESLEY SNEIJDER believes Mario Balotelli could have been as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo if he fixed his attitude.
The pair played together at Inter Milan between 2009-10 before Balotelli was sold after falling out with then-manager Jose Mourinho.
Balotelli, 32, had a role in Inter's Champions League win in 2010 and although Sneijder admits he was an "amazing" player, the Dutchman feels he never lived up to his potential.
Sneijder, a FedEx ambassador for the Uefa Champions League, told SunSport: "Balotelli was a player with a really big mouth and a tiny heart.
"He was an amazing player. He could have been one of the best strikers in the world if he was normal.
"His mentality was not always correct but he was a nice guy. For me he was like a little child when he was with us.
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"We tried to manage that with him but it was really hard. Mourinho tried it but Mourinho was also a coach if you go against him, he will punish you even harder.
"That's what he did in the [Champions League] final – he made him warm up for 45 minutes but didn't put him on.
"Definitely, definitely [up there with Messi and Ronaldo]. In training he was amazing, he had everything that a striker needs. But if your mentality is not correct you won't make it."
Controversy has followed Balotelli throughout his career – from setting off fireworks inside his house while at Manchester City to punching an Adana Demirspor team-mate during a match.
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Sneijder and Balotelli linked up once more at Nice and the striker now plays for FC Sion, who were relegated from the Swiss Premier League this season – his 10th club since leaving Inter.
Last month he was branded a "zombie" after being subbed off at half-time in a 5-0 defeat to Servette.
The former Italy international also flopped at Liverpool and AC Milan and was forced out of City by Roberto Mancini.
But he did win the Premier League and helped Inter to the treble in 2010.
Balotelli has three Serie A titles to his name and one FA Cup, but he failed to deliver on the big expectations placed on him after he won the Golden Boy award in 2010.
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