Bryan Robson tells a tale about playing in a reserve match while returning from injury for Manchester United when a free-kick is awarded on the edge of the box.

As he stands over the ball a skinny teenager says: "I'll have this one," and gestures for his captain to move aside. Curious at what the youngster will do after such a display of chutzpah, Robson does as he is told. He then watches David Beckham curl the ball into the net.

There was something of Beckham's poise and confidence in the way Mario Balotelli took control of the situation when Internazionale won a free-kick 35 yards out on Wednesday night. Wesley Sneider, Javier Zanetti, Samuel Eto'o and Dejan Stankovic were all on hand, but Balotelli made it clear he was taking the kick. He then buried it past Rubin Kazan's goalkeeper to ensure Inter reached the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

Balotelli had already been instrumental in Inter's first goal, but, post-match, Jose Mourinho was curmudgeonly when asked about the teenage striker. "How good can he be?" was the gushing question. Mourinho responded with a verbal bucket of water explaining that it was up to the player how good he would become, indicating that it was not certain that Balotelli would fulfil his talent as his attitude was unsatisfactory.

slapping

Back in the Sky TV studios the comparison was drawn with Mourinho's relationship with Joe Cole, presumably a reference to his public slapping down of the England midfielder after he had scored a winner against Liverpool.

Mourinho's problem with Cole was, though, all about his lack of defensive discipline and team awareness on the pitch. Mourinho's relationship with Balotelli is far more complex, and strained.

Mourinho regards the 19-year-old as arrogant (and who better to judge?) and lazy. He has been dropped for his attitude in training, and for being late. Last month he gave Balotelli a mark of "close to zero" for his performance in a draw with Roma. Earlier this year he criticised the negativity Balotelli brought to the squad.

So far, so typical. Another tale of a footballer who thinks he is God's gift, who believes he's made it after a few headlines, who needs, as commentators regularly say about Balotelli, to 'mature'.

Except Balotelli is far from typical and, rather than being a young man with nothing to think about, but play football he is subject to unique pressures.

Balotelli was born Mario Barwuah to Ghanaian immigrants in Palermo, Sicily, shortly after the Italia '90 World Cup. The family moved to Brescia, in the north, but while still a toddler he was handed over to a local white family, the Balotellis, in what seems to have been an unofficial adoption.

As he grew he showed prodigious talent as a footballer making his debut at 15 for Lumezzane in Serie C. Within a year he was wooed by the likes of Barcelona, but opted to join Inter in nearby Milan. He made his first team debut at 17 and within months scored as Inter completed the double with victory in the final of the Coppa Italia. So far, so good.

But the following season (last season) he was racially abused by Juventus fans in Turin, the incident being serious enough for the Italian FA to hand Juve a ground closure.

Which is where the Boy's Own dream becomes dark and complicated. Both Mourinho and Milan's black Dutchman Clarence Seedorf insisted the abuse is not racist but a reflection of Balotelli's provocative, petulant, showpony manner on the pitch, which had resulted on this occasion in Juve's Tiago being dismissed for fouling him. They, and Juve fans, point out Inter's other black players were not abused.

However, it is very hard to dismiss the chant 'Balotelli is a shitty n****r' as not being indicative of a racist mentality. Plus there is the unique factor that Balotelli is the first high-profile black Italian footballer (former internationals Fabio Liverani and Matteo Ferrari were mixed-race and much lighter-skinned).

As such Italians, many of whom are unhappy at high levels of legal and illegal immigration, are being asked questions about their sense of national identity that to some are unwelcome, and uncomfortable. For make no mistake, Balotelli may not look classically Italian, but he sounds and feels Italian. Italian law meant he was not able to take citizenship until his 18th birthday, but while waiting he turned down several approaches from Ghana to play for them and, having not yet been capped a senior level by the Azzurri, continues to do so.

On this issue he has said: "There is pride at stake, Italy is my country and it would be tough to change."

On the abuse he received in Turn he said: "I am more Italian than those Juventus fans in the stands."

When he talks about discussing things with his family he means his adopted family. When his birth parents reappeared in his life, via media interviews, he was dismissive. "I was adopted by the Balotelli family when I was just two. Why? No-one has ever asked the Barwuahs, and now they are doing interviews with papers holding my photo in an Inter shirt with sad faces. Why did they never ask the courts to take me back? Now I am a Serie A player they want to come and find me."

The Barwuahs are not the only ones following Balotelli's progress with interest. Arsenal and Chelsea have been consistently linked with him, but Massimo Moratti, Inter's powerful owner-president, has always made it clear the player, who is under contract until 2011, is not for sale. That might change if Mourinho's tough love approach fails, but as the Portuguese's tenure at San Siro is far from secure Balotelli would probably sit tight.

There is no doubting Balotelli is a singular footballing talent, but he is also a teenager in unique circumstances. It is hardly surprising that he needs careful handling. (© Independent News Service)

- Glenn Moore

Irish Independent