Mario Balotelli of speculation, Inter reached an agreement for Balotelli's transfer to Manchester City on 12 August 2010 for a €21.8 million fee. At Manchester City, Balotelli reunited with his former head coach at Inter, Roberto Mancini, who said, "His style of play will suit the Premier League, and because he is still so young there is a big chance for him to improve. He is a strong and exciting player, and City fans will enjoy watching him." Balotelli exchanged squad number with teammate Greg Cunningham so he could continue to wear the number 45 shirt. On 19 August 2010, Balotelli came
Mario Balotelli City manager Roberto Mancini had repeatedly defended Balotelli, but he and footballer Daniele De Rossi believed Balotellki would need to grow up and mature if he was going to become the centrepiece of future Italian success. On 10 June 2012, Balotelli also became the first black player to appear for Italy in a major tournament (UEFA European Championship or FIFA World Cup) in a 1–1 draw against Spain, Italy's first match of UEFA Euro 2012. Italy and Spain later played each other for the second time in the tournament in Kiev. During the 1–1 draw, Balotelli failed to make an