by Chinners » Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:56 am
Roberto Mancini jokes about 'punching' Mario Balotelli
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says he jokingly told Mario Balotelli he might have punched him in the head every day if he was his team-mate.
Mancini said he could understand why his squad sometimes got frustrated with the enigmatic 21-year-old striker.
The City boss said: "I told him, if you played with me 10 years ago I would give you every day maybe one punch in your head.
"There are different ways to help a guy like Mario."
Mancini added: "I don't speak with him every day, otherwise I would need a psychologist, but I speak with him because I don't want him to lose his quality.
"If Mario is not one of the best players in the world it will be his fault, because he has everything.
"Mario can be one of the top players in Europe. I don't want him to lose his talent."
Reports suggested Balotelli and team-mate Kolo Toure had a half-time fight in the 3-3 Premier League draw against Sunderland, which saw City lose further ground on leaders Manchester United.
Toure said he was upset by "untrue" claims
Mancini believes Balotelli's behaviour on and off the pitch is blown out of proportion.
The striker has scored 17 goals in 29 appearances for City this season.
"There are some people who think bad things against other people, like Mario," he said.
"Every time Mario does something, [it] is like a war.
"There are other people on and off the pitch that do worse than Mario and no-one says anything because maybe they play for an important team or are not like Mario."
We're still Inter Mario! Balotelli could be offered Milan escape route in summer
Inter Milan could swoop to end Mario Balotelli's tumultuous spell at Manchester City, but are not prepared to announce any move until the summer.
The Italy striker, 21, has been dogged by a number of high-profile controversies since his move to the Barclays Premier League last summer.
Most recently following revelations that he had a fling with a prostitute linked to Wayne Rooney which came just days after he argued with team-mates during the match with Sunderland.
Balotelli has clashed with manager Roberto Mancini recently and admitted that his knowledge of the story had been a heavy burden.
But he could be offered a route out of the Etihad Stadium in the summer and back to the club who released him for £26million in August last year.
The Serie A club will not give it thought until the summer at the earliest, as their sporting director, Marco Branca, insisted at a press conference to unveil new signing Fredy Guarin.
Asked about Balotelli, Branca said: 'I don't want to be rude and I will respond briefly.
'Balotelli is not a topical interest issue. Today, we talk about Guarin and about the pleasure to have him among us.
'As for Mario, there will be time to speak about in one or two months.'
Controversial Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli managed to make the headlines again as this time he managed to escape unhurt after being involved in a car accident.
According to Manchester City, who revealed that the collision was not Batotelli's fault, the former Inter Milan forward's car (a Bentley) was involved in an accident with another car in Medlock Street, Greater Manchester (near Deansgate). The 21-year-old striker was unhurt but the person in the other car (who was also unhurt) was rushed to hospital as a precaution.
"Shortly after 3:15pm on Thursday 5 April, 2012, police were called to Medlock Street, Manchester City Centre, to report of a collision between two cars. The passenger of one of the cars was taken to hospital for precautionary measures. Inquiries are ongoing,'' read a statement by Greater Manchester Police, according to an ESPN report.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Balotelli revealed that he had been involved with a prostitute named Jennifer Thompson, who had been earlier linked to Manchester United star striker Wayne Rooney. Thompson had claimed that Rooney had offered her £1,200 to sleep with him during his wife Coleen's fifth month of pregnancy.
City carpet starlet over pro-Man United tweets
A Manchester City youth-team player has been forced to apologise for celebrating arch-rivals Manchester United’s win over Blackburn.
Sam Jones posted gleeful messages on Twitter as goals by Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young sent United five points clear of City at the top of the Premier League.
The defender kicked off with: “Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh united united united”, before following it up with: “yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh what a goal!!!!!”
After Monday’s game, he said: “Game over! Ashley Young you king!”
But Blues fans were less than impressed, and sharp-eyed City officials gave him a dressing down.
Jones, from South Wales, has now tweeted: “I am sorry for causing offence. I shouldn’t have said those things. The club has reminded me of my responsibilities.”
City are thought to have signed schoolboy Jones from Welsh side Cardiff last month.
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