Why Always Him? Mario Balotelli Gets Into Training Ground Altercation With Micah Richards.
Why always him? Manchester City star Mario Balotelli made headlines again, this time for inciting an altercation with Micah Richards during a club training session. The two reportedly squared up and exchanged words. Richards, no slight fellow, was restrained by two teammates. This is Balotelli’s third training ground spat since joining the club. The previous incidents involved Jerome Boateng and Vincent Kompany. City plans to do the smart thing, erect a fence around the training ground to stop catching these incidents on camera.
Manchester City is also investigating Balotelli for a separate incident. He was spotted breaking curfew at a Manchester curry restaurant. He is living out of a downtown hotel while his house is repaired, following a fire he started by setting off fireworks from his bathroom window.
Why does Manchester City put up with this? Eight goals in 11 appearances in the EPL this season, only five of them were starts.
[Photo via Getty]
Previously: Here’s Mario Balotelli Scoring A Goal With His Shoulder
Previously: Mario Balotelli plays with fireworks, sets house on fire.
Previously: Mario Balotelli’s Epic Struggle With His Training Bib
Previously: Mario Balotelli’s Bicycle Kick Goal Was Fairly Impressive.
Previously: Yes, Mario Balotelli Actually Tried to Pull Off a Backheel on a Breakaway
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76 Responses to “Why Always Him? Mario Balotelli Gets Into Training Ground Altercation With Micah Richards.”
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December 15th, 2011 at 12:17 PM
It was later found to be a nan issue.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:22 PM
curfew before 48 hours from game time seems excessively harsh. I don’t understand what people want these athletes to do. Practice or go over game plan on their every waking second? Are they not allowed to have any semblance of a life?
It’s like the time Tony Romo got killed for going to Mexico when coach gave the team a couple days off. It seems like most of these journalists or fans don’t have a life of their own, so they don’t want others to have one either.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:25 PM
I could go for some Indian food. I haven’t had any in forever.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:26 PM
I hope he gets kicked off the Italian team for some other grave transgression before Euro starts.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:28 PM
this guy is everywhere. iron chef, south park…..
December 15th, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Balotelli is supremely gifted everywhere except in the head.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:30 PM
I had to click on the article to find out who Balotelli even was, I thought maybe this was an article about cricket.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:30 PM
It’s like the time Tony Romo got killed for going to Mexico when coach gave the team a couple days off. It seems like most of these journalists or fans don’t have a life of their own, so they don’t want others to have one either.
That was before a playoff game, when you should be studying film and preparing every waking second of the day
December 15th, 2011 at 12:31 PM
I could go for some Indian food. I haven’t had any in forever.
Same here.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:32 PM
I was under the assumption there was video of this. I feel slighted.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:33 PM
Yeah, because the coach refuses to give him any playing time. I would guess it’s difficult to score goals from the bench, but that’s just me.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:35 PM
But wouldn’t you just call it, “food”?
December 15th, 2011 at 12:36 PM
SG bringing some soccer knowledge, nice.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:38 PM
i don’t think a 48 hour curfew prior to game it too harsh, i think most people believe it’s not that hard to live by the rules of the profession you chose to do, especially when you get paid boatloads of money to do it.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:38 PM
I read it more as a question/answer.
Q: Why do they put up with it?
A: Because he scores goals.
As usual, duffy’s point gets lost in his overly complicated prose.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:39 PM
but it’s still a nan-troversy
December 15th, 2011 at 12:40 PM
That’s not even remotely complicated.
Duffy’s point is that Mario has an impressive strike rate made even more so by the fact that his minutes are limited.
Crystal clear.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:40 PM
it’s naan, not nan.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:41 PM
Jordan would stay up to wee hour of the morning during the finals, gambling away his wealth. Didn’t affect him much.
In fact, I would argue that obsessing over the game plan every waking second can leave you over-analyzing every little insignificant detail and leave you tense and nervous rather than loose and letting your instinct take over.
Ofcourse preparation is important. But you can be prepared AND have a life outside your sport. They aren’t mutually exclusive.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Obviously not to everybody.
/points to sportsgal and broc
December 15th, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Not how I read it. Regardless, if you have a talented guy with pure goal scoring ability, why the fuck do you sit him on the bench all the time? Obviously this method of “punishment” isn’t doing shit to curb his bad behavior. You’re paying the kid to score goals, not ride pine. I don’t get it.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Yep.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Yeah, I didn’t think it was complicated at all.
Haters gonna hate
December 15th, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Nothing but Johnie Walker and threesomes the night before, the body is a temple.
/Namath’d
December 15th, 2011 at 12:45 PM
No, I got it. I was merely pointing out that SG knows enough about soccer to know that Mancini doesn’t play him regularly, which is impressive.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:46 PM
I guess you can say that Duffy “engender” haters
/did I use it correctly, ty?
December 15th, 2011 at 12:49 PM
Because City started the season with Aguero and Dzeko as the choice strike partnership and they were scoring boatloads (Mario is the third leading scorer among their strikers this season). Before Tevez went off the rails they had a four man rotation of strikers to use by a manager who if he had his choice would only play one at a time anyway. When he was starting when given a chance this year he scored goals. However one of the big reasons he doesn’t start all the time is he’s a MASSIVE booking liability.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:50 PM
I’m not Ty, but you would have to say engenders haters. Otherwise, fine.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:51 PM
I didn’t get what Duffy was saying. Can we move on now?
December 15th, 2011 at 12:52 PM
so then it’s not because he’s black and has a bad attitude?
December 15th, 2011 at 12:53 PM
aww, SG, we just kid.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:54 PM
You probably lost everyone at Aguero. Balotelli is good, the other strikers they have are world class. Kun!
December 15th, 2011 at 12:55 PM
His bad attitude translates to his disciplinary problems in games, so that is an issue.
However the biggest issue is that City have a squad of superstars, they’re not all going to start. But him breaking rules outside of the game isn’t going to do anything to prove to Mancini that he can control himself in the game.
Unrelated: fuck Patrice Evra.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:55 PM
No, it’s because he’s young and he’s black and his hat’s real low. Do I look like a mind reader, sir? I don’t know.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:56 PM
Related: Fuck Luis Suarez.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:57 PM
you mentioned something in comment 21 about riding some wood or something like that…please, go on.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:58 PM
He is hated because he’s black and has a bad attitude in ITALY. In England, he is hated because of the bad attitude. Race has nothing to do with it.
Look, I understand you can’t make stereotypical statements based on behavior of the few, but I don’t think it’s a secret that southern europeans have out-dated views when it comes to race. I always wonder why Balotelli chose to play for Italy, when most of the soccer fans in that country don’t consider him as one of their “own”. I would either play for Ghana or not play international football at all, if I was facing the amount of racism that kid faces in Italy.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:58 PM
+1 Roc hand signal
December 15th, 2011 at 12:59 PM
But wouldn’t you just call it, “food”?
Ha! Indian food is fairly difficult to make, so I usually have it when I go to my parents. Don’t have it on a regular basis.
it’s naan, not nan.
Yep. Now I could really go for some garlic naan.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Completely necessary: Fuck Bayern Munich. Drop some points, you bastards.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:02 PM
When the FA bans him they better fucking ban Evra for angrily calling him a South American. But they won’t. One of Fergie’s friends is on the three person panel deciding it. Evra is a piece of shit.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:03 PM
Never trust a big butt and a smile.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:05 PM
She can walk with a switch and talk with street slang.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:05 PM
I didn’t read into that whole fiasco, did he really call him a South American or was it something worse? Because last time I checked, Uruguay is in South America.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:06 PM
Well, his coach is Italian so you can maybe see why someone would make that correlation.
I think Balotelli is an asshole with a bad attitude. But he’s fucking fun to watch and I wish he’d get a little more playing time. You’re not going to make the kid get any better by sitting him on the bench even if he would be considered the 3rd best striker on the team. He’s fast, he’s creative, and he has huge potential.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:07 PM
I don’t disagree. Still, when your defense is “Yup, I called him a ‘negro’ but that’s not racist!” you’re probably facing a ban no matter who is on the panel. Diving cunt.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:08 PM
“Don’t touch me you South American.” Abuse based on origin is what Suarez is in trouble for, and it’s what Evra did.
Along with telling the ref that he was only booking him because he’s black.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Related: Fuck Luis Suarez.
To you, good sir!
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December 15th, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Certainly not the worst thing that’s been tossed around, but I understand the implication and why it’s considered racism. Thanks for the info.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:10 PM
I guess Mancini didn’t know Balotelli was black when he signed him for City. Or when he signed him for Inter in 2007.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:11 PM
I suppose I could take offense to being called North American as it would lump me in with 400 million armed while fat Yankee meth addled simpletons but I just don’t let these things bother me.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:14 PM
I’LL FUCKING ASK THIS AGAIN!!! WHAT GOOD TO BRILLIANT FOOTBALLER DOESN’T DIVE?!?!? STOP WITH SUAREZ AND HIS DIVING CRAP!! EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR MESSI DOES THIS SHIT. JUST STOP.
/rant over.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:16 PM
Messi has been booked for diving before. He does it too.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:17 PM
Sorry Hope, but there are varying degrees of diving, and Suarez is on the Ronaldo/Busquets/Alves/Nani/di Maria level.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:17 PM
He’s not just sitting, though. He actually does get plenty of run for being an exceptional player on exceptional squad. This “problem” occurs in many other big clubs.
/Free Sahin
December 15th, 2011 at 1:18 PM
A lot of good players “go down easy”. Suarez dives.
/lawyer’d
//not really
///Go Chelsea?
December 15th, 2011 at 1:20 PM
Busquets is exactly who I thought of too. He spends half the game on the ground.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Ronaldo
Cristiano is far and away the worst diver of this bunch. Damn fine player though.
You could also include pretty much any player from the Serie A
December 15th, 2011 at 1:25 PM
Suarez is a bitch
December 15th, 2011 at 1:26 PM
Suarez is actually in the “goes down too easy” camp but I won’t let the facts get in the way of you guys.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Started and played 60+ minutes in the Copa del Ray match this week.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Actually Busquets dives way more than Cristiano does nowadays.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:28 PM
I really wish Arsene Wenger bought Balotelli 3 years ago. I saw someone in this thread saying Balotelli was good but the other strikers were world class. In reality, Balotelli is probably the most talented. You could make the argument for Aguero but not for Dzeko or Tevez.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:28 PM
One of my favorites. Sucks to watch him go down so easy.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:28 PM
Oh, and Suarez and RvP are the best strikers in England.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:29 PM
Sucks to see David Villa go down with a busted leg.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:30 PM
1) He has been hurt an unavailable most of the season
2) He isn’t even remotely good enough at this point to supplant Xabi. Granted, nobody in the game is.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:31 PM
If I could get on youtube at work I’d link to a thousand videos that disagree. And “goes down too easy” is fairly subjective, and I have a feeling your “facts” might not line up with mine.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:32 PM
I just think Suarez is the biggest whiny bitch in the EPL.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:33 PM
Diving is where there is no contact. Going down too easy is crumbling under challenges. Suarez has drawn more contact than any player in England this year (because there isn’t a defender that can stop him), almost all of the incidents this year where people have accused him of diving have been where there was actual contact.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:33 PM
Oh, and Suarez and RvP are the best strikers in England.
RvP is on another planet this season!
Sucks to see David Villa go down with a busted leg.
Yeah, that was bad. I heard he was looking to move to the PL; scratch that now.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:34 PM
Suarez is debatable, but RvP is on a different level than anyone else right now. Makes me sick.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:35 PM
Mourinho has been getting him a good amount of run since he’s been back healthy, he’s mostly been used as a late 2nd half sub and a 60 minute starter in non-important matches
He looks really tentative out there as well, and he actually plays even more defensive than Xabi does. In the games Sahin’s played in, he’s rarely more than 5-10 yards away from the center line towards goal.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:35 PM
If Suarez played for any other of the top teams besides rubbish Liverpool who insist on giving chance after chance to the likes of Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll,he’d have 14-15 goals too.
December 15th, 2011 at 1:36 PM
I really wish Arsene Wenger bought Balotelli 3 years ago. I saw someone in this thread saying Balotelli was good but the other strikers were world class. In reality, Balotelli is probably the most talented. You could make the argument for Aguero but not for Dzeko or Tevez.
/moderation’d
December 15th, 2011 at 1:46 PM
Henderson has actually been playing very well. Downing and Adam have created 64 scoring chances between them this year. The problem isn’t lack of support, it’s a drop in clinical finishing from everyone outside of Maxi.