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Balotelli vows never to do interviews again

Paris - Mario Balotelli has slammed the media for the way recent comments given in an interview were portrayed and vowed never again to do future interviews.

In a wide-ranging interview with French radio station RMC on Wednesday, Balotelli spoke about his recent experiences of suffering racist abuse on the pitch.

The Italian international also spoke of his desire to receive a national team call-up, while praising the quality of a young Nice squad.

But it was his comments about PSG's Edison Cavani that made headlines with media reporting that Balotelli described Cavani as "not a phenomenon".

The former AC Milan attacker later took to social media to hit out at the way his comments were portrayed in the media while disregarding more important points.

In the interview Balotelli says Manchester City's mid-week slayers Monaco have the stars and the spirit to edge a reeling Paris Saint Germain in a tight French title race.

With nine games to go it is a three-way tussle between Balotelli's Nice, PSG and Monaco, with the latter underlining their rich promise by ejecting Pep Guardiola's City in the Champions League last 16.

Free-scoring Monaco are top with 68 points, with PSG on 65 points and Nice 63 points.

Monaco travel north to Caen on Sunday, the same day PSG face a showdown with fourth-placed Lyon in Paris.

"Paris Saint Germain have phenomenal players but no team, while Monaco have one phenomenal player in Falcao and then a strong group with great team spirit," Italian striker Balotelli said.

His Nice team, who go to Nantes on Saturday, were the league pacesetters and even though they have fallen to third Balotelli predicts a great future.

"This is a young side, even younger than me, and next season will be a special one," said the former Milan, Manchester City and Liverpool striker, 26, whose side should at least qualify for the Champions League next season.

Balotelli will sit out the last game of his latest suspension.

His dig at PSG could prove prophetic as the capital club face a Lyon side in a real purple patch at the Parc des Princes.

Alexandre Lacazette failed to make Didier Deschamps' France squad this week but he has 22 league goals this season.

PSG are still trying to regalvanise themselves after a gut-wrenching collapse at Barcelona a week ago sent a shockwave through the club.

"The Parisian" daily newspaper asked Thursday if it was time to strip Thiago Silva of the captaincy and hand it to Edinson Cavani, their stand-out player so far this season with 38 goals in 38 games.

Monaco have scored an astronomical 84 goals in the league with 18-year-old prodigy Kylian Mbappe notching 11 in his last 11, earning a call-up for France.

"Quality and talent don't have an age," Deschamps said. "I find Kylian very mature.

"His strength is his serenity, his calmness when one-on-one with a goalkeeper. For a youngster of his age, it's very rare."

All times GMT

Friday

Metz v Bastia (1800), Lille v Marseille (1945)

Saturday

Nantes v Nice (1500), Angers v Guingamp, Bordeaux v Montpellier, Nancy v Lorient, Toulouse v Rennes (2000)

Sunday

Caen v Monaco (1400), Dijon v St Etienne (1600), PSG v Lyon (2000)

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