Glen Johnson: 'We're not focused on Mario Balotelli'

Johnson: 'We won't wind up Balotelli'

England and Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has insisted that the Three Lions will not be determined to throw Italy striker Mario Balotelli off his game.

The controversial Manchester City frontman is expected to start for the Azzurri against England in the Euro 2012 quarter-final clash on Sunday.

While the 21-year-old is known to have a short fuse on the pitch, Johnson has claimed that he and his teammates will be focused on their own job at hand.

"I don't go into games thinking like that," Johnson told reporters. "You concentrate on yourself and try to do your own job well. He can play a major factor in any game, whether that's good or bad."

Meanwhile, Portugal became the first team to clinch a semi-final spot after securing a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic last night.

Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter

Get FREE daily news and in-depth previews for games from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football — straight to your inbox.

Subscribe