Balotelli prefers Pio Esposito over Camarda and was ‘more consistent’ than Rafael Leao

Mario Balotelli picks Francesco Pio Esposito over Francesco Camarda and feels he was ‘more consistent’ than Milan star Rafael Leao.

Balotelli was one of the guests at the Festival dello Sport over the weekend, when he got to talk about Italian and Serie A strikers, starting with his former Inter teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“He’s a pain in the a**, but he is because he cares about you. If he wouldn’t, he would not say anything,” said the former Inter and Milan striker.

“He was stronger than me mentally, but I was better from a technical standpoint.”

When asked to compare Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Milan’s Rafael Leao, Balotelli said: “Right now, Lautaro is more ruthless, and Leao is more of a talent.

“He [Leao] is a force of nature. If he understands that he can do well, also for himself, there aren’t many as strong as he is. Probably, I was more consistent, but if he understands this, he’s too strong.”

Leao has only made two Serie A appearances as a substitute this season, having recently recovered from a calf injury he sustained in August during a Coppa Italia game against Bari.