Mario Balotelli may not be scoring on the pitch but off the pitch his injuries have not been hindering his form. New Year Eve’s was supposed to be one he was spending with his then current girlfriend Sophie Reade, only to then sub her at the last minute for her best friend Faye Evette Betts.
To add insult to injury Balotelli dumped Reade by text shortly afterwards. The Italian has been in the headlines on several previous occasions already this season, mostly on the front pages.
He returns to action tonight, in the Manchester City squad to face Europa League side Aris Salonika with a possible starting place alongside Carlos Tevez. Obviously due to his latest shenanigans his fitness will not be a concern for manager Roberto Mancini. His manager will be hoping his recent scoring off the pitch can reproduced on it as City hope to recover from the derby defeat last Saturday.
Sophie Reade is said to be devastated by the betrayal of her best friend with her former boyfriend. Sophie took to her Twitter page to blast Mario, and her friend Faye. She posted: ‘Would like to let everyone know Faye Evette is a
and slept with the guy I was seeing! What a friend and welcome 2011.’ She added: ‘Mario Balotelli is a
!!’
Whether Balotelli has any interest in making Faye Betts his long term girlfriend remains to be seen, he may just prefer to rotate his squad, to keep his run of form going.
Click on the image below to launch the steamin’ gallery
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Premier League footballers are not always the most reasonable bunch and it often seems like their money goes to their head. There have been a whole host of players who have taken action when they have sought a move in order to ensure that they can go to a bigger club and earn a bit more money. One of the first players to do this in the modern game was Pierre Van Hooijdonk who was after a move to Nottingham Forest and said of his contract dispute with Celtic that “£7,000 a week may be good for the homeless, but not for an international striker.” The Dutch international has set the trend, are here are 10 more Premier League ‘Scallywags’ who forced their transfer moves…
Click on the image below to see the TOP 10 PL ‘Scallywags’:
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Barcelona moved 10 points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga with an uncharacteristically staid 1-0 win over Real Zaragoza on Saturday.Seydou Keita was the unlikely hero at the Camp Nou, notching just his second goal of the season two minutes from half-time to secure Barca’s fourth straight league victory.Barca was lacklustre in the first half before Lionel Messi sparked the Spanish champions into action, sweeping a cross to Keita at the far post for the Malian defender to tuck past Zaragoza goalkeeper Dolbas.It was just reward for Keita, who had earlier had a goal controversially disallowed for offside.Pep Guardiola was a less animated figure than usual on the touchline, the Barca boss still suffering from a back injury that necessitated his hospitalisation on Thursday.Real Madrid will have a chance to reduce the gap to seven points when they take on Racing Santander on Sunday.Elsewhere, Villarreal’s top-three hopes suffered a blow with a 3-1 loss at Atletico Madrid.Jose Antonio Reyes put Atletico in front five minutes in with a fine curling effort from 20 yards out, but Giuseppe Rossi drew Villarreal level with a left-footed redirection of Santi Cazorla’s free kick after 33 minutes.But Atletico responded after the break with quick goals to Sergio Aguero (69) and Diego Forlan (72), the former played in to the area by Filipe Luis for an easy finish and the latter converting from close range on Reyes’ good work.Finally, Pablo Hernandez scored in either half as Valencia ran out 2-1 winners at Mallorca, leaving the visitors well placed to clinch third spot behind Barca and Real.
The United States will lock horns with Argentina in New Jersey on Saturday in the first of two friendlies ahead of their Gold Cup campaign.The USA will be looking to extend their four-game unbeaten record that has seen them twice draw with South American opposition in Chile and Colombia.
US coach Bob Bradley has named three uncapped players for the friendly, summoning Nuremberg attacker Timothy Chandler, Duisburg keeper David Yelldell and Norwich City defender Zak Whitbread.
The game also offers Bradley the first chance to have his favoured starting squad together for the first time since a 2-2 draw with Poland.
However, the US midfield – the side’s weakest component – has been dealt a blow with Bolton midfielder Stuart Holden ruled out for six months following a collision with Manchester United defender Jonny Evans on Saturday.
Bradley’s men crashed out of last year’s FIFA World Cup in the second round after a 3-0 defeat to eventual semi-finalists Ghana, but will be hoping to secure their fifth Gold Cup crown come June.
Argentina also have a regional competition to contend with, the Copa America which kicks off in July on their home turf.
Coach Sergio Batista’s side will be buoyed by their recent international friendlies, which has seen them account for Portugal, Venezuela and great rivals Brazil.
Barcelona superstar and world player of the year Lionel Messi has recovered in time for the clash after suffering a knee injury in La Liga.
Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez has been left out of the squad with reports suggesting the prolific scorer, who has netted 18 goals this term, was being punished for his late withdrawal from the friendly against Brazil, which saw him subsequently feature for his club only three days later.
Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero is also out of the Argentina squad while Benfica striker Eduardo Salvio comes in in the absence of Inter’s prolific marksman Diego Milito.
Elsewhere, Mexico hosts Paraguay at the Estadio Azteca, with both sides looking to record a positive result ahead of the Copa America, while Chile tackles Portugal at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa in Leiria.
Earlier in the day, Colombia will face Ecuador at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez.
Peter Crouch went some way to making amends for his Champions League dismissal with a brace in Tottenham’s 3-2 win over Stoke on Saturday.Crouch was the villain for Tottenham against Real Madrid on Tuesday, with his early sending off playing a major part in his side crashing to a 4-0 defeat at the Bernabeu in the Champions League quarter final.
But he was the hero at White Hart Lane as his brace ensured Tottenham secured all three points and helped the north London club record their first victory in the English Premier League since February 12.
Harry Redknapp’s side had gone four games without a win, but they are determined to keep alive their chances of finishing in the top four and are now just three points behind Manchester City.
Stoke gave everything but this latest defeat means they are still only six points clear of the bottom three and will need a couple more victories to cement their top-flight status.
In a thrilling first half, it was Tottenham who opened the scoring on 11 minutes.
Rafael Van der Vaart played a short pass to Roman Pavlyuchenko, whose cross picked out strike partner Crouch. The England man made no mistake to nod the ball past Asmir Begovic in the Stoke goal.
Pavlyuchenko turned provider once again on 18 minutes when he fed a short ball to Luka Modric, who raced past Robert Huth into the box and fired the ball under Begovic to make it a dream start for the home side.
Stoke refused to lie down and Matthew Etherington scored a superb individual goal on 27 minutes to help his side get back into the game.
The former Tottenham winger raced from his own half past Michael Dawson and then took the ball around Tom Huddlestone in the penalty area before striking the ball through the legs of Heurelho Gomes to give Stoke a lifeline.
But Crouch restored Tottenham’s two-goal lead when he added his second of the game on 34 minutes.
The Tottenham striker rose above Ryan Shawcross to meet a cross from Huddlestone and directed a powerful header into the corner of the net.
Another cracking effort helped Stoke get back into the game on 41 minutes.
Bale lost the ball and Kenwyne Jones fired an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area which sailed into the roof of the net past Gomes.
Stoke were desperately unlucky not to grab an equaliser on 53 minutes.
Jones weaved his way into the box and crossed in for Jon Walters to shoot at Gomes, with the ball deflected onto the post.
Jones was causing all kinds of problems for the Tottenham defence and he came close to scoring once more on 57 minutes when he connected with a cross from Jermaine Pennant and saw his header fall inches past the post.
Tottenham had the ball in the Stoke net again on 67 minutes but the effort was ruled out after Younes Kaboul was adjudged to have fouled Begovic when he jumped for the ball.
Gomes came to Tottenham’s rescue on 87 minutes when he made a stunning save to deny Jones’ 25-yard effort, but the home side held on to record a crucial win.
Wayne Rooney recently made arguably the most obvious statement since Kevin Keegan informed the footballing world that players who were 30 at the current world cup would be 34 at the next one- if they weren’t careful. Wazza noted that it’s only a matter of time before Ryan Giggs is made Sir Ryan of Salford.
Rooney told The Sun:
“It won’t be long before we call him Sir Ryan. For me he’s a genius, incredible. What he has done at United, what he does for the younger players is absolutely fantastic.”
The British media, or should that be the English media has been so wrapped up in when David Beckham is going to receive his knighthood that many of them have overlooked the man who more than any player in the modern game, deserves one.
I know there may be those among you who like Morrissey may think “what difference does it make?” but surely there’ s a strong case to be made that giving Giggs a knighthood before he hangs up his boots would be not only a great idea but more importantly well deserved.
Here’s ten reasons why Giggs should be on his knees with a sword on his shoulder sooner rather than later.
1. He’s won the lot- several times. With a staggering array of winners medals not to mention the freedom of the City of Salford, BBC Sport Personality of the Year, Young PFA Player of the Year, PFA Player of the Year, Order of the British Empire, numerous records broken and continuing to be broke every time he sets foot on a pitch, what accolade is there left to bestow upon the man who’s won everything? It’s only right that a man who has won every honour both for his team and individually should be awarded the one thing he hasn’t achieved yet.
2. He’s a shining example to younger players. Let me ask you this: how many times have we heard of Giggs, arguing over a contract, trying to get himself a better deal, diving about on the floor, getting involved in tabloid nonsense, being red-carded- at club level, making silly statements, bringing his club into disrepute? None? Thought so, The man is the best example of how any footballer should conduct themselves bar none. If you’re a youngster and you look up to a Wayne Rooney or even a Roy Keane, then that’s great but you could find an even better role model in Mr Giggs, absolutely faultless, in fact, canonizing rather than knighting him could well be more appropriate.
3. Charity work. It amazes me how little is made of the amount of work Giggs does for “charidee2 when compared with other so-called celebrities who seem to revel in the limelight of all their benevolent efforts. Giggs has done his bit as part of United’s charity work during his career but has also branched out to become an ambassador for UNICEF. Giggs visited Sierra Leone as part of his work with UNICEF which is where his father’s family originally come from. Giggs has also been a vociferous member of the ‘Show Racism The Red Card’ campaign, opening up his heart about the abuse he suffered as a mixed-race child in a white environment.
4. He’s Welsh and proud of it. Being Welsh shouldn’t qualify you for a knighthood, but Giggs deserves credit for being a shining example for his national side as well as his club one. Although he didn’t ‘choose’ Wales as some have claimed, he was born in Cardiff to Welsh parents so could only play for that country, he has never made an issue of it. One Reebok campaign simply stated : “I’m Welsh end of story.” It’s a crying shame for England that he is as the left side of our national side’s midfield has NEVER had a decent long-term player there during Giggs long career.
5. If he was an Olympian he’d have been knighted by now. The likes of Chris Hoy, Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent have all been given knighthoods so why not Giggs? If he was an Olympic athlete, he’d have taken part in the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2010 games. Would he have been knighted by now? Of course he would have. Yet just because he’s a ridiculously successful footballer that somehow doesn’t count. Well it should, athletics shouldn’t have a monopoly over honours, football’s the people’s game and no one embodies it better than Giggs.
6. If the Queen’s waiting for him to retire- it could be a long wait. Her Majesty may well be thinking, she’ll give Giggs the honour his talent and attitude deserves when he hangs up his boots. The problem is, Giggs isn’t human, he’s a cyborg created by United supporting scientists that will simply keep going for many years to come. While that last statement may be a bit of a porkie it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Giggs could actually be playing into his forties. Sounds ridiculous, well we’ll see about that in a few years.
Any more reasons Ryan should become Sir Will Tear Your Apart Again? Feel free to suggest them below:
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Read more of Justin’s articles at the excellent Red Flag Flying High
A bullet has been posted to Celtic manager Neil Lennon, just one day after he was attacked on the touchline during a game against Hearts.Police officers were called to Celtic Park on Thursday, and a spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police confirmed they were investigating the incident.
On Wednesday night, police arrested the man who charged at Lennon and attempted to wrestle him to the ground during his side’s 3-0 away win over Hearts.
Edinburgh man John Wilson appeared in court on Thursday charged with breach of the peace aggravated by religious prejudice, and assault aggravated by religious prejudice, but he did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody.
Two men, aged 41 and 43, are also being held by police over a separate incident in which parcel bombs were sent to Lennon, lawyer Paul McBride and politician Trish Godman.
The Celtic manager received death threats while playing for Northern Ireland, and was hospitalised after being badly beaten in Glasgow on a night out in September 2008.
Celtic, a predominantly Catholic club, have been locked in a tense battle for the Scottish Premier League title with their Glasgow rivals Rangers, who draw most of their support from the Protestant community.
The rivalry this season has been especially bitter, coming to a head on March 2 when Celtic played host to Rangers in a fiery Scottish Cup clash.
Rangers had three players – Steven Whittaker, Madjid Bougherra and El Hadji Diouf – sent off and the match was punctuated by a heated touchline exchange between Lennon and Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist after the final whistle.
On April 4th, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney passionately celebrated having just completed his hat trick against West Ham and helped United to a 4-2 victory. Clearly pumped up by the incident, the England forward celebrated with his teammates before turning to swear into the nearest television camera. In the few seconds before the producers chose to cut to a different camera, Rooney did enough to anger the FA to the extent that he was fined and received a two-match ban.
Rooney accepted the fine but appealed against the ban, a decision that was later upheld by the FA. So, Rooney served the ban and missed the FA Cup Semi-final defeat by Manchester City and that was it. Or so it seemed.
Even now the saga still rumbles on with TV Regulator Ofcom only just responding to various complaints filed by viewers against Sky. Admittedly Ofcom rejected the various complaints claiming Sky did what they could to avert viewers’ attention, but with five weeks gone since the incident, surely it is time for viewers and fans to accept that Rooney did act inappropriately but that he has served his punishment and will hopefully learn his lesson. But, at the same time, why has so much pressure been put on Rooney for the incident?
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Rooney’s career has been littered with incidents and flare-ups. But, a passionate and fiery performer, many believe this is part of what makes Rooney the great player he is and gives him that extra edge. As with Roy Keane or Eric Cantona, genius is only moments from madness and it is a gamble Sir Alex Ferguson has been willing to take. It is up to the Scotsman to manage this, but at the same time would Rooney be such a force if not giving his hundred percent in a Manchester United shirt every week?
A similar level of foul language and tantrums can be seen at all levels of the game. In this case Rooney was unfortunate to be such a high-profile victim. But, there is a difference in those playing lower league football and those in the Premier League.
The Premiership is the most watched league globally and Rooney plays for the best supported club in the World. Therefore, Rooney is idolised and sets an example to younger generations everywhere. In choosing to play football as a profession, surely players should realise the extra responsibility that comes with the territory and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Yes, footballers are paid vast sums of money for their superior skills and physical attributes, but clubs must stop wrapping them in cotton wool and allow players to take some accountability for their own actions.
The majority of footballers are far from saints. Constant incidents involving abuse of referees, tantrums or play acting combined with off-field demeanours has led to the development of a negative stereotype. And, whilst it seems the authorities and many fans are happy to accept this, it is up to the clubs and players themselves to own up, accept the error of their ways and improve their behaviour for the sake of the future of the game.
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FootballFanCast.com WORLD Exclusive: Robbie Savage’s Face in a Baby Scan…
Terry Venables has admitted that he isn’t certain how long it will take for an English manager to win the Champions’ League. Since the competitions’ reformation in 1992, only a handful of English coaches have even managed in the tournament, and the man who guided England to the semi-finals of Euro ’96 has conceded that this trend is likely to continue for some time.
Speaking at Stamford Bridge in his role as an ambassador for 188BET ahead of this weekend’s Champions’ League Final, Venables, a former Chelsea midfielder who played over 200 games for the Blues, explained that although English clubs are regularly well represented in Europe, he can’t see an English manager reaching the Final, net alone winning the trophy, for several years.
“But in saying that, where do we get them from? We have got Arsenal; not English, we have got Chelsea; not English, Man City are up there; not English. So there are no English managers in there anyway,” Venables said.
Harry Redknapp performed wonders in guiding Tottenham to the quarter-finals this season, having defeated the likes of Inter and AC Milan on the way, but the Spurs boss is only the sixth coach to represent England in the tournament, following Tony Mowbray, Steve McClaren, Ray Harford, Howard Wilkinson and Sir Bobby Robson, none of whom were able to steer their sides past the first knock-out stage.
Although English managers have failed to build successful reputations on a similar scale to Italians or Spaniards in the modern game, Venables believes the true test of a coach’s ability lies their capacity to handle pressure at the wrong end of the table.
“This thing about being a good manager is, you can’t judge it by being in the top four. There are haves and have nots. A lot of these managers that have done well like Mick McCarthy, Roberto Martinez and Ian Holloway, at the bottom of the League, and I’ve got to say, and I’ve been saying it for several weeks now, that Martinez, McCarthy and Holloway have done a fantastic job of getting their teams where they are. It’s the leader, you’ve got to back the jockey sometimes. The biggest player is the manager or the coach, he is the one that is the leader, he is the one that you have got to follow; can he handle it?
“They never looked like they couldn’t [handle pressure] on the television. When they came on they seemed very confident and I thought, and as I have said again and again, the fact that you’re looking for him to sort of worry a little bit. But that never came and they showed incredible leadership throughout the bottom [of the Premiership table]. There is nothing harder than that, that is where the problem is, that is where the pressure is, it’s at the bottom.”
“Terry Venables is a 188BET ambassador. The In-Play betting specialists are offering great value odds on a host of markets for the Champions League Final. To check them out and for a free £25 bet go to www.188promo.com/terry”
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Aston Villa winger Ashley Young refused to be drawn on his future at Villa Park ahead of England’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland.The 25-year-old has been widely linked with a big-money move to English Premier League rivals Liverpool or Manchester United.
But speaking after England’s training session in London on Tuesday, he said his thoughts were focused firmly on his country’s crucial match with Switzerland at Wembley.
“To be honest I’ve not heard anything come out of the club officially so I’m not too sure what’s been going on,” Young said.
“I’m away with England and that’s what I’ve been concentrating on. We’ve got a massive game on Saturday and that’s where my thoughts are.”
“I’ve said I’ll speak to the manager and chairman at the end of the season. I’ve got to concentrate on this game and then we’ll see what happens regarding talking to them after this game.”
Young did, however, say he was behind Frenchman Gerard Houllier staying on at Villa, after it was widely reported the 63-year-old had parted ways with the Birmingham club.
When asked if he hoped the Frenchman would stay on, Young replied: “Yeah of course, he’s done great since he’s come in.”
“It’s been a difficult season for us but hopefully, fingers crossed, things will get sorted with him, with his health.”
Young also admitted that the absence of the suspended Wayne Rooney on Saturday would be a major blow for England.
“Wazza’s (Rooney) a great loss, but we’ve got a lot of players in the squad to come in and play in his position,” he said.
“I’m sure the boys are raring to go and looking for the opportunity to get themselves in the team and get that starting place.”
“There’s a lot of players fighting for positions and it’ll be a good week this week. We always meet up and have a good week before the games and everyone will prepare in the right way.”