• Italy midfielder denies striker is a 'difficult character'
• 'We treat him as one of the squad, no more, no less'
The Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi has rejected suggestions that striker Mario Balotelli is a disruptive influence on the dressing room.
Balotelli could emerge a key figure in Warsaw on Thursday night as Italy try to maintain their remarkable record against Germany and book a Euro 2012 final against Spain.
The 21-year-old appeared to be getting a tongue-lashing from De Rossi at one stage during the quarter-final triumph over England, but De Rossi was eager to stress there was nothing abnormal in that.
"Mario is not a difficult character at all," he said. "We treat him as one of the squad, no more, no less.
"On Sunday I shouted at him at half-time but that has happened thousands of times in my career with players. There are no problems with him and there have never been any. He is a very good player.
"There is no need for us to have a word with him, that is up to the coach, and we don't need to make any extra effort with him."
Not that the coach Cesare Prandelli wants to delve too deeply into Balotelli's psyche. He said: "How do you try to work out what goes on in the head of a 21-year-old young man? In terms of his behaviour, mentality and psychology, he has changed radically with us.
"There are no problems with communication. I'm just curious to see what he is feeling, what sacrifices he is prepared to make to become a great footballer." Read More [category Sport][tags Italy, Mario Balotelli, Euro 2012, Football, Sport]
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