Mario Balotelli set to be dropped by Manchester City for Chelsea clash
Roberto Mancini loses patience with Italian striker • Italy also likely to axe Balotelli after red card
Mario Balotelli faces being dropped from the Italy squad as a punishment for his latest red card. A public apology is also unlikely to spare him from being dropped for Manchester City's match at Chelsea on Sunday. City's manager, Roberto Mancini, has made the frank admission that he no longer feels he can trust the striker for a game of such magnitude.
"I don't know if I can rely on him for a game like this," said Mancini, who is usually Balotelli's most voluble supporter. Balotelli has scored 10 goals in 20 appearances for City but he has also had two red cards and nine yellows and a training-ground fight with Jérôme Boateng. He has shown little sign that he will ever accept authority in his life. That feeling extends to the national squad, whose coach, Cesare Prandelli, plans to take a hard line and leave out Balotelli when he announces his squad on Sunday for a Euro 2012 qualifier in Slovenia on 25 March and a friendly against the Ukraine four days later.
Balotelli, in short, faces an enforced spell out of the game as the two managers try to address the pattern of behaviour that led to what Mancini described as a "stupid" red card in City's Europa League tie against Dynamo Kyiv. Balotelli, in a carefully prepared statement, said he was "very sorry" but he will be fined and there are clear signs at Eastlands that his apparently magnetic attraction to controversy will no longer be tolerated.
"I don't think he will be in the squad [against Chelsea]," Mancini said. "I'm going to chat with him in the next couple of days and we'll see. Mario is young but he needs to think about what he wants to do because he has everything he needs to become a fantastic striker. But he lost the [Kyiv] tie for us and I am angry with him, definitely. Important players cannot do what Mario did."
Balotelli was also caught up in an incident after the match, when he jumped out of his car to remonstrate with a group of supporters who are said to have flashed V-signs in his direction. "I hope, every day, that he will change his behaviour," Mancini said. "But I can't understand his bad behaviour sometimes. Sometimes I can, but other times I can't. I just hope he can change."
The 20-year-old did at least apologise to his team-mates after Thursday's game and he followed up with a statement on the club's website that expressed his regret for the way he rammed his studs into the chest of the Dynamo defender Goran Popov. It is also understood that Balotelli will travel to London, despite Mancini's threat.
"It was not my intention to hurt anyone, I want to express my sincere apologies to Popov," Balotelli said. "I was trying my best for the team, as I always do. The ball was in the air and I went for it with my foot high. I never tried to make contact with Popov and I certainly didn't want to hurt him. In retrospect, however, the tackle was poor and I'm very sorry to my team-mates in particular that I got sent off so early in such an important game.
"I should have showed more consideration, but I was so involved in the game. It was not a good way to repay the manager who has shown so much faith in me, or the owners and fans who have made me so welcome since I arrived from Italy. I hope they forgive me and see that I want success with Manchester City. From my injury on, I have had some difficulties. It is not an easy period for me but I will overcome it with the help of everybody."
Balotelli, nonetheless, is in danger of losing the trust of the other players. "He is a young boy and he has to learn from his mistakes – I told him, and everyone told him," the Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong said.
"He has to realise you have to change your mentality sometimes on a professional level. Mario is a talented boy but I've told him he's got to learn from his mistakes and he's disadvantaging his own team by doing these kinds of things. He needs to realise that he's always going to be a marked man.
"We're going to sit with him and he's going to realise he has to change. We are there to help him, not to criticise or blast him away. He is still a young lad and has to learn. He was angry and he was disappointed. He let his team down in a way but he knows it, and it is a good lesson for him."
Prandelli is also planning to leave out Daniele De Rossi as punishment for the Roma player receiving a three-match ban from Uefa for elbowing Shakhtar Donetsk's Darijo Srna during a Champions League tie last week, an offence that was missed by the referee Howard Webb. It is Balotelli's inability to curb his behaviour, however, that is causing the more concern.
Gianfranco Zola, who coached Balotelli with the Italy under-21 set-up, said: "He can become as good as he wants. Everything is in place except the self-discipline. He is a skilful player, a strong player; he just needs to learn the self-discipline that is so important in achieving results."
Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, added: "I cannot judge Balotelli as a person because I do not know him but he has had a lot of problems with his behaviour on the pitch, also in Italy. He's one of the best young players in Italy and Italian football needs this kind of quality. Everyone in Italy hopes he will improve his behaviour on the pitch. The Italian national team needs him in the squad, so we hope his behaviour improves."
Man City claimed to have made £30m bid for Palermo sensation
Manchester City have had a bid for Palermo sensation Javier Pastore turned down, according to the club's owner.
Maurizio Zamparini has told the Italian press that the Serie A side have refused an offer from Roberto Mancini's side for their highly-rated Argentinean midfielder.
"We have received an offer but we have ruled it out because it does not meet our valuation of the player and, at this time, there is no need to lose his services, especially if we qualify for the Champions League," Zamparini said.
Reports in the Italian media suggest the bid from Eastlands was around £30m, with Palermo holding out for an offer closer to £50m.
The 21-year-old has hit 10 goals in 29 league appearances for Serse Cosmi's side attracting the attention of Europe's biggest clubs.
Nedum Onuoha plays a Central role
BLACK CATS defender Nedum Onuoha visited youngsters taking part in one of the SAFC Foundation’s two-day football coachng courses.
Onuoha gave advice to the youngsters at the Goals Soccer Centre in Sunderland, offering tips on how to improve their game.
Throughout the recent school half-term break, the Foundation worked with more than 500 youngsters aged between four and 14.
Onuoha said: “To see so many young people at one venue was amazing.
“The coaches really supported each individual and came up with ideas to improve their techniques.”
Meanwhile, the Foundation will be helping Spanish youngsters improve their football and English skills this summer with a special course run in conjunction with Spanish organisation INK Formacion.
The Foundation’s coaching staff will be delivering coaching for youngsters aged six to 16 in Alicante at a week-long course from July 17-23
Silva still hopeful of title
David Silva believes Manchester City still have every chance of mounting a title challenge this season - especially if they can carve out a win at Chelsea on Sunday.
City have stuttered in the league in recent weeks and find themselves seven points behind leaders Manchester United. But with the distraction of the Europa League gone following Thursday's exit to Dynamo Kiev, Silva thinks the gap is not insurmountable.
Silva told The Sun: "If we win at Stamford Bridge and United have a few more problems in the closing weeks, there is still a chance of us winning the league.
"Chelsea are also obliged to win, so the situation increases the pressure. I think the team with the better attack will win. We need to hold our nerve and not change our attacking philosophy."
OTHER BOLLOX
Arsenal will grant Cesc Fabregas his wish to join Barcelona this summer if the Catalan club meet the Gunners' £45m valuation of their Spanish playmaker. Goal.com
Juventus and Genoa hope to lure Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov to Serie A next season. The Sun
Liverpool have been told by Ajax that their 19-year-old Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen is not for sale. talkSport
Charlton face a fight to hold onto teenage defender Carl Jenkinson after interest from Arsenal. TalkSport
Liverpool are pondering a summer move for Chelsea winger Yuri Zhirkov. Caughtoffside
West Ham's Kieron Dyer could move to Everton if his loan spell at Ipswich Town is successful. Daily Mirror
Everton boss David Moyes has rubbished reports that Manchester United have already agreed a deal to sign the Toffees' 20-year-old midfielder Jack Rodwell. Daily Mail
Juventus have been scared off pursuing Chelsea's Jose Bosingwa after the Blues placed a £10m price tag on the Portuguese full-back. Daily Mail
Stoke and Blackburn are both chasing wantaway Wigan winger Charles N'Zogbia, who is valued at £9m by the Latics. Daily Mail
Former Chelsea defender Frank LeBoeuf thinks Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti will leave the club this summer. TalkSport
Matthew Upson has tipped West Ham's centre back James Tomkins for an England call-up. Daily Mirror
Coventry City will keep caretaker manager Andy Thorn in charge until the end of the season. Daily Mirror
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has insisted a sixth trophy-less season with the Gunners would not prompt him to leave the north London club. Daily Mail
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is considering recalling injury-plagued midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who has trained all week after lengthy treatment to his troublesome knee. Daily Mail
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho lavished praise on Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp after the clubs were drawn together in the Champions League quarter-finals. Daily Mail
Liverpool have opened negotiations with interim boss Kenny Dalglish with a view to securing the Scot's services in a two-year deal. Daily Mail
Dalglish, meanwhile, has urged England boss Fabio Capello not to risk his striker Andy Carroll - who has just returned to action with his new club after a two-month spell out with a thigh injury - in next weekend's Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales. The Guardian
West Ham boss Avram Grant claims he will borrow training methods from England's rugby union side after watching Martin Johnson's Grand Slam hopefuls being put through their paces. Daily Mirror
Mohammed Bin Hammam has launched his campaign to unseat Sepp Blatter as Fifa president by promising to double the funding every national association receives from the world governing body. Daily Telegraph
Blackburn manager Steve Kean has rejected suggestions that he could face the axe after an alleged bust-up with Rovers' Indian owner Anuradha Desai. Daily Express
Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen has urged Manchester United stopper Edwin van der Sar to shelve his plans to retire at the end of the season ahead of the sides' Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Saturday. Daily Star
Arsenal striker Andrey Arshavin has admitted he has been emotionally affected by the Gunners' recent dismal run that has reduced their four-pronged silverware hunt to just the Premier League trophy. Daily Express
Chelsea centre back John Terry will be restored as England's permanent captain on Saturday - over a year since he was stripped of the role following allegations about his private life. The Sun
Former Chelsea and current Dynamo Kiev striker Andrei Shevchenko has advised the Blues' £50m frontman Fernando Torres to "stay calm" and "relax" as the Spaniard bids to break his goal duck at Stamford Bridge. Daily Telegraph
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand will wait to see how he recovers from his latest calf injury before deciding whether or not to end his England career. The Times
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has compared Stoke to the Wimbledon 'Crazy Gang' side that won the 1988 FA Cup, because of the Potters' perceived battling qualities. Daily Mail
Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan has labelled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez "the most hated person in Ghana" after the Uruguayan's deliberate goal-line handball in his country's World Cup quarter-final defeat by the South Americans. Daily Mirror
League Two Stevenage have been accused of ordering their players to fake injury as part of an alleged ruse to conduct team talks during matches. The Sun
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