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Mario Balotelli shines in this championship, as he is surrounded by "great champions" in the team, says Italian national team coach Cesare Prandelli.
The 21-year-old footballer has already scored three goals in the European Championships, and on Sunday he will run onto the field in the final match against Spain.
"He found a team where he can talk to champions - footballers who have won many trophies," Prandelli said. "We asked Mario to perform certain tasks, and he does it successfully."
He continued: "Sometimes the time comes when you have to be willing to listen to others' advice, because the most important thing is the result. We always knew that Balotelli is extremely talented."
Prandelli has no doubts that his players will be ready to challenge the titled opponents, even though Italy have not won the European Championship since 1968. This journey was not aided by the fact that the team arrived in Kiev on Saturday around 3 am.
"Our first task is not to leave spaces free and to take possession of the ball. Where we have to fight for the ball will depend on how the Spaniards play. We must not forget our goal: to close the midfield. There are excellent footballers in this position who can press the opponents," Prandelli said.
