Balotelli and Mancini involved in furious training ground bust-up
The Manchester City manager reacted angrily to a late challenge by the striker on Scott Sinclair as the pair had to be separated by club staff at Carrington.
|Last Updated: Jan 04, 2013, 08:51 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: The Manchester City manager reacted angrily to a late challenge by the striker on Scott Sinclair as the pair had to be separated by club staff at Carrington.
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli and manager Roberto Mancini were involved in an explosive training ground bust-up on Thursday morning.
The Italy international is understood to have angered Mancini with a late challenge on team-mate Scott Sinclair at the club`s Carrington base.
The 48-year-old confronted the centre-forward and the pair had to be separated by staff before Balotelli left Carrington shortly after.
Balotelli has been involved in altercations at the club`s training ground before, having previously been photographed clashing with Micah Richards.
The striker has been linked with a potential January exit from Manchester City, with AC Milan rumoured to be interested in making a bid.
Until now, Mancini - one of the controversial star`s staunchest defenders - has insisted the 22-year-old would not be sold, but recently indicated Balotelli had to work harder in training.
"I think Mario will stay but the future depends mostly on him," Mancini told La Gazzetta dello Sport last week. "Sheikh Mansour likes Balotelli because he recognises the talent and he exports the name of the City over the world.
"We need to consider that Mario was made as a major investment, and this is not a club that throws its capital through the window.
"The relationship between me and him is always good, even if one day he does something," he continued.
"I love him because for many years we live together. I`ve seen him grow. But the professional relationship is another thing and I`ve told Mario what I need from him.
"The time of cheap talk is over. Balotelli is 22 years old and now it`s time to be professional. I ask from him seriousness and commitment in training, a more stable private life and correct behaviour on the pitch."
Balotelli has been out of the first-team picture due to an illness recently, and was set for a return to the side when City face Watford in the FA Cup on Saturday, before Thursday`s incident.
Goal.Com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.