City hungry for Busquets: Mancini's already plotting a move for Barca star
Barcelona have rejected Chelsea and Man United interest in the Spain midfielder but now the champions want to reunite him with Yaya Toure
Roberto Mancini has identified Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets as Manchester City's next big-name signing.
City manager Mancini is a long-term admirer of the Spain international, and is lining him up as a target for next summer.
Busquets has a deep love of Barcelona - he is a Catalan raised a town just outside the city - and it will take a huge amount of work to try to wrestle the World Cup winner away from the Nou Camp.
Chelsea and Manchester United have been interested in Busquets in the past, but were both knocked back.
Now, City are hoping a huge fee and lucrative contract may make the deal happen.
Barcelona have insisted the 24-year-old is not for sale, and may even move to give him a new contract to keep him at the club.
But City want to further strengthen their midfield, despite buying Javi Garcia, Scott Sinclair and Jack Rodwell in the summer, and ex-Barca man Yaya Toure has been a huge success since his move to Eastlands.
Mancini believes Toure and Busquets could be the perfect midfield combination.
Meanwhile, City chief Brian Marwood has admitted that helping the England national team is not on the club's agenda
Fury of Manchester City fans over price-hike for tickets sold online
Furious City fans have blasted the club after dozens of tickets for a sold-out match went on sale online at higher prices.
More than 25 seats in the same section of the Etihad Stadium were made available for the Spurs match by online firm viagogo. Fans say tickets with a face value of £45 were being offered for £51 plus a £12.24 booking fee. Buyers also need a £10 City membership card.
The Blues signed a partnership with the firm earlier this year saying it would allow fans to sell tickets to other supporters. But most of the tickets available for the Spurs clash on the website are in the same section of the Colin Bell Stand – leading some supporters to claim the club had sold a block of seats to viagogo in a bid to profit.
One Blues season card holder, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "It is a sad day in the history of Manchester City.
"If they have handed over tickets for a sold-out match to viagogo to sell at mark up it’s shameful."
Ed Parkinson, viagogo head of marketing, said: "The seller sets the ticket price which might be more or less than they demand. Manchester City cap prices at 150 per cent of face value. We are unlike unregulated sites where there is no security form of guarantee.
"Viagogo charges 10 per cent to seller and 15 per cent to buyer. This covers the cost of maintaining the secure platform and providing customer service. Above all it covers the cost of upholding the viagogo guarantee."
A City spokesman said as part of their contract with viagogo the website received a small ticket allocation which they are entitled to sell at face value. The row comes after a City ticket exchange site on Twitter was closed down by the club.
Fan Adam Keyworth had set up a not-for-profit Twitter account, mcfcticketx, where supporters could buy and sell tickets to each other
The account was suspended after the social networking group said it had been made aware of a ‘trademark violation’.
Adam, 20, from Prestwich, said: "I originally noticed there were loads of people trying to find or sell tickets on Twitter and recognised it needed a hub so I set up the account. Our motto was ‘no fees, no nonsense’. I never made a penny and there must have been more than 100 exchanges that went well.
"It’s a bit of a joke. Fans who can’t make matches who want to sell their tickets should not be made to rip-off fellow Blues."
The City spokesman said: "The site was primarily suspended due to the lack of a safety and security system, meaning an absence of control over who could purchase tickets. The obvious outcome of this would be tickets falling into the hands of away fans or ticket touts." MuEN
David Silva Day: Injury worry for Man City as Silva limps out of Spain World Cup qualifier
Roberto Mancini will be made to sweat over the fitness of midfielder David Silva who limped out of Spain's World Cup qualifier with France after 10 minutes.
Silva pulled up early into the match, signalled to the bench and walked straight down the tunnel and could be a doubt for Manchester City's clash with West Bromwich on Saturday.
The Spaniard has missed just one match for City so far this season - he was rested for the Carling Cup clash with Aston Villa - which leaves Mancini with a major headache as they head into an important run of matches.
The Barclays Premier League clash with the Baggies is followed by a Champions League tie away against Ajax with City still searching for their first win in the competition this season.
Silva's injury came on a frustrating night for the defending champions who saw their slender lead cancelled out deep into stoppage time by Arsenal; striker Olivier Giroud.
The draw means that both sides remain locked together at the top of Group I with seven points from three games.
Balotelli: 'I have humility'
Mario Balotelli insists he has “humility” and sent a clear message to Manchester City after he earned a standing ovation at San Siro. “Speak to my face, not to the papers.”
SuperMario was on target at full stretch and fought hard, even clearing the ball in defence, during Italy’s 3-1 victory over Denmark.
“I hoped to win this match. Denmark scored just before the break and things got rather complicated, but it was good to score tonight,” he told RAI Sport.
“Even when training the other day I said San Siro was in my view the most wonderful stadium in the world. It gives you extraordinary emotions. English stadiums have a different atmosphere, but if San Siro had been full then it would’ve been even better tonight.
“Both with Italy and City, I have always put the effort in and am improving in terms of my work rate. I have had this humility for a while and can continue to have it without problems.”
Balotelli had a few clashes with Liverpool defender Daniel Agger during the game.
“I have absolutely no problem with Agger, but in the first half he did a nasty tackle on Andrea Pirlo and I got angry. These things happen on the field, and off it we’re all friends.
“Do I need to get fired up? No, I just need great teammates. I get on very well with Osvaldo in attack and when I was left alone all the balls coming forward came to me, so it was different.”
Balotelli even set up the opening goal for Riccardo Montolivo before netting himself on a long Pirlo pass.
“It was a normal move and I saw Montolivo coming, so I tried to pass it. On the second it was more instinctive, I tried to anticipate the goalkeeper, but the ball kept going and I scored.”
Last week Manchester City director Brian Marwood said Balotelli “does not set a good example,” but SuperMario’s response was short and not remotely sweet.
“I don’t want to talk about this and I don’t give a damn what he said.”
“Do I earn too much to come to Milan? I don’t know. Right now I am at Manchester, even if certain people for some reason like to say things to the papers and not to my face. I am happy in Manchester and get on well with my teammates.
“Everyone tries to put some sort of problem between us, but I get along very well with Roberto Mancini. He cares for me and I care for him.
“I feel very important for this Nazionale, but we all do. If we want to do well in the World Cup then we have to feel like a team.
“Am I happy with my life? Very.”
Dzeko-powered Bosnia on rampage
Bosnia claimed their third World Cup Group G victory when they comfortably beat Lithuania 3-0 with a late first-half blast on Tuesday, further boosting their bid to qualify for a first major tournament as an independent nation.
Miralem Pjanic set up Vedad Ibisevic for the opening goal after 29 minutes, though Ibisevic missed a great chance for a second soon after following a near-identical pass from Pjanic.
Pjanic was again the provider for Edin Dzeko to score the second after 35 minutes and six minutes later they changed roles, with Pjanic hitting net after a pass from Dzeko.
Bosnia coach Safet Susic will be delighted that he opted to rest the injured Pjanic for from Friday's goalless draw in Greece, saving him for Tuesday's match.
Bosnia and Greece, who won 1-0 in Slovakia, both have 10 points from four games, with Slovakia third on seven.
"We scored three goals within 15 minutes," Susic said. "The second half was rather thin but we accomplished our goal to have 10 points this year."
MANCHESTER TITLE RACE
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[/spoiler]TOP BOLLOX OF THE NIGHT
The most pleasing thing for me yesterday as I was awaiting the England match, was to hear that the England (and Polish) band had been refused entry. I had the misfortune to sit about 2 rows in front of those annoying cunts once and nearly had a punch-up. Yes, I can see that it creates atmosphere for the viewers at home and in the stadium but they are as annoying as feck if you are sat near them, and they play out of tune most of the time. Good work from the stadium officials, a big A+ from me, now about this roof ....
Barcelona president accuses Arsenal and City of trying to destabilise Barca
Yes. You read that correctly. Barcelona. The club who systematically tapped up Cesc Fabregas for years using every trick in their seedy Catalan book, have accused Arsenal [and Manchester City] of trying to destabilise their club in the most extravagant display of ignorance when it comes to self-awareness.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Sandro Rossell has said
Manchester City want us to remove players and want to destabilise us. Happens also with Arsenal, who come knocking for youth football players and offer them a lot of money. A lot of people do not want Barca to do well and win.
His statement has left me almost lost for words. While the Barcelona approach to sign some of our other players was bad enough, the way they went about signing Cesc Fabregas was disgusting, to the point that even fans of other clubs criticised them for it.
That they are unable to see how they behave speaks to the inherent arrogance that runs right throughout that club, a sense of entitlement that sees them behaving however they want while crying that they are always the victims.
Baconface and Roberto Mancini suffer as England’s clash with Poland is washed out
Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini have been left sweating after farcical scenes in Warsaw forced England’s World Cup qualifier with Poland to be postponed until this afternoon.
A waterlogged pitch meant last night’s game could not go ahead – meaning Roy Hodgson’s players had to delay returning to their clubs ahead of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures. And nobody will feel the impact of that more than Ferguson and Mancini, who between them will have six players starting in Poland’s national stadium today.
Both United and City have 3pm kick-offs on Saturday against Stoke and West Brom respectively. But they now look set to have to wait until Friday before Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott and James Milner can take part in the preparations for those games.
As well as the disruption to both clubs’ plans this weekend, Ferguson and Mancini will also be left hoping their players suffer no adverse effects from playing on a pitch that was swamped by heavy rainfall.
Even Hodgson admitted there was concern about the state of the playing surface ahead of today’s 4pm kick-off after the Polish authorities inexplicably opted to leave the stadium roof open despite the deluge.
“I’m rather hoping that they will get it closed now as quickly as possible and start to do some work on the pitch,” said the England manager. “At the moment the pitch is in a very poor condition.
“The water is lying on the surface and is going to need a lot of attention if it is going to be playable tomorrow afternoon.”
Hodgson named three players each from United and City in his starting XI last night – more than any other Premier League club.
And Ferguson and Mancini could feel the impact of that after the frustrating scenes in the Polish capital.
The Euro 2012 co-hosts were left embarrassed after they decided not to close the stadium’s roof despite torrential downpours throughout the evening.
ENGLAND WATERGATE
Shame - Racist abuse and punch-up mar Under-21s win; Farce - England game rained off... as roof left open DSSC
Washout - Game called off after Polish officials choose not to close the roof... and it hoses Daily Express
Wet and Wild - England coach Roy Hodgson fears another shambles after last night's waterlogged Warsaw disaster. Serbia face being kicked out of European competition after their Under-21 players and coach attacked England's stars Daily Mirror
Water Farce! - England fury after washout in Warsaw Daily Star
What A Farce - England's World Cup qualifier washed out after Poles fail to shut stadium roof Daily Telegraph
Farce and fury for England - World Cup qualifier in Warsaw rained off after Under-21s suffer racial abuse The Times
Warsaw Washout The Independent
Racist Thugs - Danny Rose suffers monkey taunts, Serb coach nuts our coach; Drips - Polish roof blunder means England must play today The Sun
Farce - England fury as waterlogged pitch in Poland leads to postponement; Disgrace - Rose racially abused while Under-21 team-mates and staff attacked in Serbia The Guardian
Go Now - End of the line for Scotland coach Craig Levein Daily Record
•Manchester City were fined £24,740 by Uefa for returning to the field less than a minute late against Porto in Match - a fine 50% greater than the one issued to Porto over the racial abuse of Mario Balotelli
•A match between England and Serbia in the 2007 Under-21 European Championship in the Netherlands saw England defender Nedum Onuoha racially abused. Serbia were fined £16,000 by Uefa
World Cup: Kompany puts seal on Belgium victory over Scotland
Belgium demonstrated a gulf in class over Scotland with a 2-0 victory on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) that maintained their lead at the top of World Cup qualifying Group A.
Christian Benteke headed the opener from a Kevin De Bruyne cross after 69 minutes and defender Vincent Kompany secured the points with a wonderful individual goal two minutes later.
Only several fine saves from Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor, Belgian imprecision and some luck had kept the visitors in the game for more than an hour.
Scotland's best two chances came from free kicks on the edge of the penalty area. Shaun Maloney forced Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois to leap high to his right in the 24th minute, while Kris Commons stretched Courtois shortly before halftime.
Belgium made their dominance pay after the break, first through Benteke's far-post header and then through Kompany, who turned neatly just inside the area before whipping a right-foot shot into the top right-hand corner of McGregor's goal.
Belgium have 10 points from four games and lead Croatia on goal difference, with the group looking like a battle between the two, particularly after Serbia's 1-0 defeat in Macedonia.
Belgium coach Marc Wilmots and his players continue to temper growing expectations that they will qualify for a major tournament for the first time in over a decade.
Belgium played before a vocal sell-out home crowd for the third match in succession.
Chelsea target Neymar, 20, has put the Premier League on red alert after revealing he wants to learn English. talkSHIT
Manchester United midfielder Nani, 25, is being targeted by AC Milan as the Italian giants look to secure a cut-price £12m deal to take the player to the San Siro next summer. Metro
Brendan Rodgers will not make a £20m bid for Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, 23, but the Liverpool manager is interested in a deal if he is allowed to take him on loan to begin with. Daily Mirror
Chelsea are considering making another move for Marseille striker Loic Remy, 25, in January as a possible replacement for Sturridge. London Evening Standard
Fernando Torres has revealed the full depth of his despair at Chelsea last season, admitting it reached the stage when he and other team-mates no longer cared whether the team won or lost. El Pais
Queens Park Rangers midifelder Joey Barton, who is serving a 12-match ban, has been pictured squaring up to Istre's Guy-Roland Niangbo during a friendly match for Marseille, where 30-year-old Barton is on loan. DSSC
Arsenal have arranged a behind-closed-doors practice match at their London Colney training ground against a Chelsea XI in an attempt to hasten 20-year-old Jack Wilshere's return to first-team football. The Times
Hard-up Hearts have told the bulk of their first team - up to 12 players - that they will have to wait again to get their wages after their monthly salaries failed to be paid yesterday. Daily Express
Hearts are already under a transfer embargo following last month's delay in paying player salaries. DSSC
Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama's agent says it would be premature to say the midfielder is close to an agreement over a new contract, despite the 21-year-old being offered an extension beyond the summer of 2014. Daily Express
Ross County manager Derek Adams plans to slash wages from his squad budget to release funds for new signings in January. The Herald
Queen's Park are likely to ditch plans to move to Partick Thistle's Firhill Stadium during the refurbishment of Hampden Park for the 2014 Commonwealth Games - and instead choose Airdrie United's Excelsior Stadium - because of the possibility of their Glasgow rivals being promoted to the Scottish Premier League, which frowns on groundsharing. The Scotsman
After Tuesday's World Cup qualifier was postponed in Poland, the weather forecast in Warsaw is for showers on Wednesday. England manager Roy Hodgson has already expressed concern over the time it will take to repair the surface, which was relaid only last week at a cost of £115,000. The Guardian
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