Thursday Gossip

Thu 10 Nov 2011, 9:31AM
Posted by Peter Ferguson

What's even better than Mancini talking about Mario? Got it in one - Mario talking about Mario. And Balotelli is inevitably the tale du jour after a typically open interview in Italy.


The BBC seem to sum up the gist of it nicely: "I'm not mad as some people say, although sometimes I'm entertaining. I'm ready to take on responsibility, even if people think I'm not."

Thank goodness he didn't claim to be the only sane one around here. But entertaining he certainly is, and the vagaries of translation mean you won't be bored reading various versions.

The Sydney Morning Herald goes with the Associated Press account: "Mario Balotelli insists he's not crazy, although he does acknowledge that he 'can do strange things' from time to time."

They quote Mario: "(The media) tends to talk more about my private life than what I do on the pitch. It's normal but it bothers me. I'm not crazy, not at all - even though I can do strange things."

Balo, who leads the attack against Poland tomorrow yet to score in five games for Italy, is never short on confidence, as the prominent quotes on sportal.co.in indicate.

They have him declaring: "I think I can be one of the very best. I'm sure you'll see in a few years whether I'm fortunate enough to reach that stage. If I'm good enough then that's great.

"Do I feel ready? Of course I feel ready. It is time for me to show up for the Azzurri.



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I haven't scored a goal yet and the national team is the most beautiful thing for a player





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And they run the quote that will endear him further to City fans, if not to Roberto: "If I wasn't being who I am, then people would just say I'm boring. So I'm not going to change."

Meanwhile, the transfer grapevine flourishes despite the first frosts. The Mail links City with Lille ace Eden Hazard, then immediately knocks down the notion that he might come.

They report: "Eden Hazard is set to deal a blow to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester rivals City and United by snubbing a move to the Barclays Premier League in favour of joining Real Madrid.

"The English clubs' hopes of landing Hazard appear all but over with Madrid director of football Zinedine Zidane recommending to the club's powerbrokers that they add the attacking midfielder to Jose Mourinho's squad, according to the Mirror."

Oh. So it's the Mirror doing the linking and unlinking. Right.

And finally, this just in. The chairman scored a hat-trick last night. No, really. It was a charity match in Abu Dhabi to raise cash for cancer research in Italy.

The National says: "The game featured some of motorsport's superstars, led by Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, facing off against some of the UAE's most talented players from the past and a number of international players led by Manchester City's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who scored an impressive hat-trick as his side won 5-4."

We're making him man of the match. We'd be mad not to, eh Mario?