On the day Liverpool signed Mario Balotelli they were playing at Manchester City. Brendan Rodgers was asked about Balotelli’s reputation for attracting trouble at his former Premier League club. Despite his sky blue surroundings he did not hold back. ‘I spent three-and-a-half hours just talking him through Liverpool,’ he said. ‘It’s a massive club and it’s a different club. It’s a family club with strong family values and ethics over many years. Behaviour is very important here.’ At City, it is fair to say there was a sharp intake of breath. Rodgers may not have intended a slight but it was certainly taken that way. City executives felt he had implied that Liverpool possessed morals that were not present elsewhere. Balotelli would be safer with them than he was at Manchester City. VIDEO Scroll down for Brendan Rodgers responds to recent Mario Balotelli controversy . Mario Balotelli posted the image (left) on Instagram on Monday and (right) out in Manchester on Sunday night . Brendan Rodgers is beginning to realise how much of a handful Balotelli can be, even when he doesn't mean it . If taking out likes of Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure in penalty area becomes smart option, football will be guilty of foul play . Slowly, Rodgers has discovered the truth. It was not that City did not care about Balotelli’s behaviour. There was no issue around ethics, or values. The problem was the player, not the club. Rodgers could talk Balotelli through the Liverpool way for three-and-a-half months, let alone three-and-a-half weeks, and it would make no difference. If Mario wants to let off a firework, he lets off a firework. If Mario wants to throw darts, he throws darts. And if Mario wants to post a message against racism, he inadvertently insults the Jews. That’s just Mario. And that wasn’t Rodgers’ only miscalculation that evening. ‘He’s a very bright boy, he’s very clever,’ he said of Balotelli. Really? Is he? He posted the phrase ‘jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew’ as a message of inclusivity. He might not be the intellectual titan of Rodgers’ imagination. Balotelli has struggled on the pitch for Liverpool and is becoming more of a problem off it, too . The Liverpool striker was criticised for swapping his shirt with Pepe during half-time of the loss to Real Madrid . VIDEO Balotelli apologies for racist tweet . Indeed, the only reason Balotelli’s post does not appear to have attracted the same widespread disgust as Nicolas Anelka’s anti-Semitic quenelle gesture is because he is presumed to be almost childlike in his perspectives. Whereas Anelka’s message was insidious and knowing, Balotelli gormlessly failed to spot an ideological timebomb in what he thought was a positive statement. His post was brightly coloured and the cartoon man shared his name. On realising his mistake he deleted and apologised. Still, the damage is done, the Football Association machine is in motion and Liverpool will have to deal with the fall-out, whether Balotelli gets a ban, or merely a fine and another round of negative publicity. His problems are their problems now. Balotelli invites trouble and, through him, so do Liverpool. Rodgers cannot say he wasn’t warned. Balotelli is sent off against Arsenal, one of four red cards he received when he was a Manchester City player, and the Italian striker walks around Auschwitz with the Italy team in 2012 . The striker holds up a fire safety poster after fireworks were famously set off in his bathroom .
Brendan Rodgers thought Mario Balotelli would behave better at Liverpool .
He is now discovering that Balotelli is the problem, not his clubs .
The striker wanted to tweet anti-racist message but ended up inadvertently offending Jewish people after posting a picture of Super Mario .
He quickly realised and deleted it but the damage was done .
Liverpool will have to deal with fall-out - a ban, a fine or just bad publicity .
On the day Liverpool signed Mario Balotelli they were playing at Manchester City. Brendan Rodgers was asked about Balotelli’s reputation for attracting trouble at his former Premier League club. Despite his sky blue surroundings he did not hold back. ‘I spent three-and-a-half hours just talking him through Liverpool,’ he said. ‘It’s a massive club and it’s a different club. It’s a family club with strong family values and ethics over many years. Behaviour is very important here.’ At City, it is fair to say there was a sharp intake of breath. Rodgers may not have intended a slight but it was certainly taken that way. City executives felt he had implied that Liverpool possessed morals that were not present elsewhere. Balotelli would be safer with them than he was at Manchester City. VIDEO Scroll down for Brendan Rodgers responds to recent Mario Balotelli controversy . Mario Balotelli posted the image (left) on Instagram on Monday and (right) out in Manchester on Sunday night . Brendan Rodgers is beginning to realise how much of a handful Balotelli can be, even when he doesn't mean it . If taking out likes of Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure in penalty area becomes smart option, football will be guilty of foul play . Slowly, Rodgers has discovered the truth. It was not that City did not care about Balotelli’s behaviour. There was no issue around ethics, or values. The problem was the player, not the club. Rodgers could talk Balotelli through the Liverpool way for three-and-a-half months, let alone three-and-a-half weeks, and it would make no difference. If Mario wants to let off a firework, he lets off a firework. If Mario wants to throw darts, he throws darts. And if Mario wants to post a message against racism, he inadvertently insults the Jews. That’s just Mario. And that wasn’t Rodgers’ only miscalculation that evening. ‘He’s a very bright boy, he’s very clever,’ he said of Balotelli. Really? Is he? He posted the phrase ‘jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew’ as a message of inclusivity. He might not be the intellectual titan of Rodgers’ imagination. Balotelli has struggled on the pitch for Liverpool and is becoming more of a problem off it, too . The Liverpool striker was criticised for swapping his shirt with Pepe during half-time of the loss to Real Madrid . VIDEO Balotelli apologies for racist tweet . Indeed, the only reason Balotelli’s post does not appear to have attracted the same widespread disgust as Nicolas Anelka’s anti-Semitic quenelle gesture is because he is presumed to be almost childlike in his perspectives. Whereas Anelka’s message was insidious and knowing, Balotelli gormlessly failed to spot an ideological timebomb in what he thought was a positive statement. His post was brightly coloured and the cartoon man shared his name. On realising his mistake he deleted and apologised. Still, the damage is done, the Football Association machine is in motion and Liverpool will have to deal with the fall-out, whether Balotelli gets a ban, or merely a fine and another round of negative publicity. His problems are their problems now. Balotelli invites trouble and, through him, so do Liverpool. Rodgers cannot say he wasn’t warned. Balotelli is sent off against Arsenal, one of four red cards he received when he was a Manchester City player, and the Italian striker walks around Auschwitz with the Italy team in 2012 . The striker holds up a fire safety poster after fireworks were famously set off in his bathroom .
were playing at Manchester City. Brendan Rodgers present elsewhere. Balotelli would be safer with Balotelli controversy . Mario Balotelli posted inadvertently insults the Jews. That’s just message of inclusivity. He might not be the it, too . The Liverpool striker was criticised name. On realising his mistake he deleted and apologised. Still, the damage is done, the Liverpool will have to deal with the fall-out, whether Balotelli gets a ban, or merely a fine