We reveal what sparked the Balotelli v Richards bust-up
Mario Balotelli has lived up to his ‘Mad Mario’ tag with another amazing bust-up.
The Manchester City striker was engulfed in yet more controversy when he became embroiled in a heated exchange with Micah Richards at the club’s Carrington training ground after the defender told him to “grow up”.
The pair laid into each other and had to be pulled apart by shocked team-mates in another embarrassing incident for the club, which was witnessed by spectators and photographers.
Incredibly, the two are the best of friends.
The row was sparked by a pass from England defender Richards, which did not reach Balotelli
The Italian striker said: “If you won’t pass to my feet, I won’t move.”
Richards, who had been unimpressed by Balotelli’s contribution to the training session, replied: “Grow up Mario.”
When Balotelli burst into a string of expletives in Italian, Richards launched himself at his friend.
Several players, including James Milner, Yaya Toure and captain Vincent Kompany, jumped in to separate the two.
They were then brought together by manager Roberto Mancini for a stern lecture in front of team-mates, and immediately made up, by shaking hands and laughing off the incident.
Richards played down the row in Twitter comments afterwards, when he said:
“Me & Mario are all good! these things happen in training & we shook hands after. it shows passion! #ctid”
City officials confirmed the incident later, but insisted no action would be taken against the pair, and manager Mancini will not fine the players.
But after seeing his team suffer their first defeat of their Premier League campaign at Chelsea on Monday, it is the last thing the Italian needs as he prepares for Sunday’s crucial showdown with Arsenal.
It is just the latest in a long line of controversies involving Balotelli since his £22milion move from Inter Milan last year, and team-mates are well used to his antics.
He is currently living in a hotel in the middle of Manchester after his multi-million pound country house caught fire when his friends set off outdoor fireworks in the bathroom before the 6-1 victory in the Manchester derby in October.
And before Monday’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, Balotelli broke a curfew by staying out until 1am on Sunday morning at an Indian restaurant.
City have had several training ground incidents in recent months.
Balotelli was involved in another bust up with defender Jerome Boateng last season, and also fell out with skipper Kompany, while Kolo Toure scrapped with Emmanuel Adebayor.
On Thursday night, a club insider played down the latest flare-up, saying: “It was something and nothing. It happened in the heat of the moment.
"These things happen on every training ground virtually every day of the week. They shook hands afterwards and there are no hard feelings.
"They are good mates and will remain so.”
Manchester City ready to trim the wages bill
Carlos Tevez may be the most high-profile name to depart City next month – but he is unlikely to be the only one. For when the mid-season transfer window opens, Roberto Mancini’s focus will be on shipping players out rather than bringing new faces in.
Mancini has already stated that he sees no need to sign another forward in January, even in the event of Tevez leaving for AC Milan, Juventus, Paris Saint Germain, Corinthians, Tottenham or Boca Juniors.
The manager has not altogether ruled out strengthening defence or midfield should the right talent come along at the right price.
But he publicly declared last month that he was satisfied with the make-up of his squad, believing it strong enough to maintain a push for the Blues’ first league title since 1968.
What Mancini is keen to do is offload players who have minimal chance of featuring regularly in City’s first team in order to trim the wage bill.
In addition to Tevez, the manager is looking to move on Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge next month.
He would also like to set the wheels in motion to ship out Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor permanently when their loan deals expire next summer.
Mancini could reasonably expect to bring in £40m in transfer fees by selling that quintet, in addition to saving around £30m in annual wages. Those are the kind of savings that will go a long way to helping City in their bid to comply with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules after posting a £197m loss during 2010/11, the biggest in English football history.
Of those five players, Onuoha is likely to be the easiest to shift, despite his emotional attachment to a club he joined as a 10-year-old.
The writing was on the wall for the 25-year-old defender when he returned from a season’s loan at Sunderland to discover that, not only would he not be going on City’s pre-season tour of North America, but that he didn’t even have his own locker at the club’s Carrington training ground.
Left behind to train with the youngsters, Onuoha put on a brave face as he figured for a reserve side in pre-season friendlies at Altrincham and then Stalybridge in July, vowing to fight for a first-team return.
The five months since then have proved to be a reality check.
Having made just two appearances for City this season – both in the Carling Cup – Onuoha has been given the clearest message possible that he has no future at the Etihad Stadium under Mancini. For a player who scored arguably the best goal seen at Stamford Bridge last season – an outstanding solo effort in Sunderland’s 3-0 win – it is a sorry state of affairs.
Fortunately for Onuoha, he will not be short of offers. West Brom are the front-runners to buy him for £4m next month, with manager Roy Hodgson doing nothing to dampen speculation of a move.
Hodgson can expect competition from QPR, whose manager Neil Warnock has money to spend and has made little secret of his admiration for Onuoha.
The ex-England Under-21 international’s defensive versatility would also make him an excellent fit for Blackburn, who are absolutely crying out for reinforcements at the back.
But while a move to Ewood Park would allow Onuoha to stay close to home – a consideration in his next career move – it would also bring the real risk of Championship football next season.
Bridge, meanwhile, could be playing Championship football this season, if Mancini can finally persuade him that a move would be good for his career.
The left-back – who, it is easy to forget now, has 36 England caps to his name – has been cast so far to the fringes that he struggles even to get a game in City’s Carling Cup side.
Mancini effectively decided to bin Bridge after he struggled in games against Blackpool and Arsenal early last season.
But the manager’s attempts to move on a player who commands a £90,000-a-week salary have proved tricky.
Newcastle backed off during the summer when they realised they could not afford Bridge, who also knocked back a season-long loan move to Celtic.
After the last transfer window closed for Premier League clubs, Mancini expressed hope of loaning him out to a Championship side, thought to be West Ham.
Nothing came of it, but those avenues will be explored again next month. If the Blues do sell him, they will be lucky to get £2m for a player Mark Hughes bought from Chelsea for £10m just under three years ago.
City also face the tricky issue of finding a permanent home for £10m-rated Adebayor, who will have to take a significant cut on his £170,000-a-week salary to make his loan move to Tottenham permanent.
The top earners at White Hart Lane are on around £70,000 a week and manager Harry Redknapp doesn’t have the backing to smash that wage structure.
Santa Cruz will have to take a pay drop too, wherever he ends up, once his season-long loan at Real Betis expires.
The striker has been far from prolific in Spain, scoring just twice all season, and his value has dropped significantly from the £17m Hughes shelled out to Blackburn in 2009. If sold, he would be likely to go for around £3m.
That leaves Tevez, embroiled in an increasingly surreal saga to general indifference from City’s supporters, in whose eyes he has all but left the club already.
Just when it seemed as though the Tevez affair could not get any weirder, controversial former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has stuck his oar in.
Berlusconi, AC Milan’s owner, has told Tevez he should move to the San Siro next month.
“If he comes with us, he will win the Golden Ball award,” Berlusconi told an Italian newspaper.
“Tevez has two options, one which regards prestige and the other one money.”
The striker, who remains absent without leave in his native Argentina, has also been linked with Paris Saint Germain, who have denied making a £21m offer, while reportedly claiming that he wants to stay at home and rejoin his old club Boca Juniors.
Wherever he ends up, the Blues will be glad to see the back of him.
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[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea are considering making a move for Napoli and Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, 24, who is also a reported target of Manchester City. talkShiT
He could be a replacement for striker Didier Drogba - who is determined to quit Chelsea in January, with Frank Lampard to follow. The Sun
Serie A leaders Juventus are eager to buy Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia in January but the Red Devils are not interested in selling. Daily Mirror
United team-mate Federico Macheda will leave the club for a team on the continent in January, according to his agent. Daily Mirror
Meanwhile, United are set to offer £25m for Benfica midfielder Nicolas Gaitan, 23, who helped knock them out of the Champions League. Olé
Returning loanee Landon Donovan insists a two-month reunion with Everton was too good an opportunity to miss. The Daily Telegraph
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has admitted he may lose Cheick Tiote in the January transfer window with Chelsea and Arsenal believed to be interested. Daily Mail
But Pardew has revealed that Mike Ashley has given him the green light to bring in a new centre-back in the transfer window. Newcastle Chronicle
Arsenal will watch Germany striker Lukas Podolski, 26, as Arsene Wenger weighs up a £15m January move. Daily Mail
Burnley, Derby County and Bristol City are set to fight it out over a loan deal for Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson. The Independent
West Ham are locked in a battle with German club Borussia Monchengladbach as they look to sign Barcelona striker Jonathan Soriano, 26. talkSHIT
Tottenham have beaten Manchester United to the £6.5m signing of AZ Alkmaar's Swedish midfielder Rasmus Elm. Expressen
Sam Allardyce has warned West Ham will make a huge mistake if they allow highly rated defender James Tomkins to leave for a Premier League side. Daily Mirror
West Brom have agreed an undisclosed fee with Dundee United for midfielder Scott Allan. Express & Star
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas hopes the Blues avoid AC Milan in the Champions League draw. Evening Standard
Former Italian Prime Minister and AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi says Carlos Tevez can be the best player in the world if he moves to the San Siro. The Sun
Uruguay government officials have denied rumours they attempted to intervene in the race row involving Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Independent
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has backed £20m winger Stewart Downing to silence his critics ahead of his return to Aston Villa this weekend. The Guardian
Michael O'Neill is expected to be interviewed for the vacant Northern Ireland manager's job in the early part of next week after his final game in charge of Shamrock Rovers in the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham. The Guardian
Arsenal youngster Francis Coquelin, 20, wants to make his mark at the Emirates Stadium despite interest from French club Lille. talkHIT
Former Fulham manager Jean Tigana is expected to be named as Nicolas Anelka's new boss at Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua. The Sun
Under-fire Blackburn boss Steve Kean wants to meet the campaigning supporters who want him out of Ewood Park - in return for some breathing space. Daily Express
The Football Association fear England may struggle to sell their Euro 2012 ticket quota as concerned fans worry about travelling to Ukrainian host city Donetsk. Daily Mail
Dropped Stoke winger Jermaine Pennant has denied having a bust-up with Potters boss Tony Pulis. Daily Express
QPR are ready to "get in the faces" of Sunday's opponents Manchester United, according to forward Jamie Mackie. Daily Mirror
Former England midfielder Peter Reid has "kissed and made up" with Argentina's Diego Maradona over the "Hand of God" goal which helped knock England out of the 1986 World Cup finals. Daily Mail
MADE UP ILLNESS BOLLOX
A FAN of Manchester United risks death with every match — because of the stress of watching them play.
The woman suffers a range of nervous symptoms — including anxiety, palpitations and a sense of DOOM — whenever the Red Devils are in action.
Her condition worsens as the final whistle approaches, with United famed for not scoring crucial goals until the very last seconds or even well into extra time.
Docs have diagnosed her as having a rare and life-threatening condition called Addisonian crisis, caused by a lack of stress hormone cortisol.
From The Sun and if anywhere near true she would surely be long dead after this season
EUROPE BOLLOX
Five Premier League clubs set to learn European draw fate
Andre Villas-Boas won the Europa League with Porto last season Arsenal and Chelsea will find out on Friday who they will face in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Both teams topped their groups, meaning they avoid Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
However, they could be given a tricky tie against AC Milan at the ceremony in Nyon, which precedes the Europa League draw.
Champions League qualifiers
Group winners: Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Benfica, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal, APOEL, Barcelona.
Group runners-up: Napoli, CSKA Moscow, Basel, Lyon, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Zenit St Petersburg, AC Milan.
The two Manchester clubs will join Stoke City in the draw for the next round of the Europa League.
However, on a miserable evening for British clubs on Thursday, Tottenham, Birmingham and Celtic were all knocked out of the competition.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is particularly keen to avoid AC Milan, with Basel, who got the better of Manchester United, appearing to be an attractive draw, with Napoli, Marseille, Lyon, Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St Petersburg and CSKA Moscow also possible opponents.
"[There is] one team with seven European titles and, for sure, those will be the ones to try to avoid," said Villas-Boas.
A trip to Russia would present challenges in February and March and Villas-Boas, whose Porto side played CSKA and Spartak Moscow in the Europa League knockout stages last season, said: "It happened to me last year in Porto twice and I have no problem with it.
"The synthetic pitch is also always difficult at CSKA but it's something that we think our players can handle.
"Zenit is a different story, a natural pitch.
Europa League qualifiers
PAOK FC, Standard Liège, Hannover 96, PSV Eindhoven, Legia Warsaw, Sporting Lisbon, Stoke City, Athletic Bilbao, Metalist Kharkiv, Braga, Atlético Madrid, Schalke 04, Twente, Anderlecht, Lokomotiv Moscow, Lazio, Besiktas, Steaua Bucharest, Salzburg, Wisla Krakow, Rubin Kazan, Club Brugge, Udinese, AZ Alkmaar, Man City, Trabzonspor, Man Utd, Ajax, Valencia, Olympiakos, Porto, Viktoria Plzen.
"Of course, it will be very, very cold. But normal circumstances."
United and City might find themselves in the less glamorous surroundings of the Europa League, but Reds striker Wayne Rooney is still desperate to win the trophy.
"I don't think the manager's won the Europa League, so I'm sure he'll want to win it," he said.
"Every competition we enter we want to win.
"There are some good teams but we have to believe, keep working and hopefully we can go on and win it."
The round of 32 draw will see the 12 group winners and the four best third-ranked teams from the Champions League group stage drawn against the 12 Europa League runners-up and the four remaining third-ranked teams from the Champions League. Winners and runners-up from the same group cannot face each other, and neither can teams from the same country.
MCF.NET THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=41193
MORE BOLLOX VERY SOON
