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Balotelli misses Juve clash despite having ban reduced

April 19, 2013 11:45
By Terry Daley ROME (Reuters) - AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli will miss Sunday's top of the table clash at Juventus despite having his three-match suspension cut to two games. "The Federal Court of Justice has partially upheld an appeal by Milan and reduces the matches Mario Balotelli is banned for by three to two games, adding a fine of 20,000 euros (17,163 pounds) in exchange for the third match," the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on its website (www.figc.it) on Friday.

Football: Balotelli suspended for three games - league

April 9, 2013 12:17
AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has been suspended for three matches by the Italian league's disciplinary committee on Tuesday after insulting an assistant referee. The Italy international was given a one-match ban after picking up a fourth yellow card of the season in last Sunday's 2-2 draw against Fiorentina. He was banned for a further two games after insulting a linesman at the end of the match, the league said in a statement. Balotelli turned on the official who was watching the forward having an animated discussion with Fiorentina goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.

Balotelli banned for three matches after insulting official

April 9, 2013 12:15
TURIN, Italy (Reuters) - Maverick forward Mario Balotelli was given a three-match ban on Tuesday for insulting the fourth official at the end of AC Milan's 2-2 draw at Fiorentina at the weekend. Balotelli was due to face an automatic one-match suspension for accumulating four yellow cards when he was needlessly booked for failing to retreat at a free kick.

Balotelli caught smoking, gets banned, throws tantrum

April 7, 2013 20:46
(Reuters) - Mario Balotelli had been on his best behaviour since joining AC Milan but the maverick striker's old habits resurfaced at the weekend when he was fined for smoking in a train toilet and suspended for a needless yellow card. Balotelli, who has scored seven goals since his January move from Manchester City, also threw a tantrum at the end of the 2-2 draw against Fiorentina after he was involved in an altercation with rival goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.

Balotelli fined for smoking in toilet on train

April 7, 2013 20:46
MILAN (Reuters) - AC Milan's maverick forward Mario Balotelli was caught smoking in the toilet on the train during the team's journey to Florence and will be fined, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Sunday. Balotelli was ticked off by the train guard who told Galliani: "You need to pull his ears. He was smoking in the bathroom," Gazzetta dello Sport reported. Smoking is banned on Italian trains. "I want to say that we're going to fine him," Galliani told the newspaper.

Football: Milan up to second as Juve boost title defence

March 30, 2013 16:16
Riccardo Montolivo pounced on the rebound from a Mario Balotelli free-kick to seal a 1-0 win for AC Milan over Chievo on Saturday which moved the Rossoneri up to second place in Serie A 11 points behind Juventus. Napoli, who dropped to third, can reclaim second spot if they beat Torino in Saturday's late match. Earlier Saturday, Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri scored one apiece for Juve as the champions reinforced their Serie A title defence with a commanding 2-1 away win to Inter Milan at the San Siro.

Football: Italy attack-minded for Malta match

March 25, 2013 07:00
Fresh off a rousing comeback against Brazil in a friendly, Cesare Prandelli's Italy side face a trip to Malta on Tuesday as they look to extend their lead over Bulgaria in Group B and move one step closer to World Cup qualification. Prandelli will be hoping Italy carry that second half form into the match at the Ta'Qali National Stadium, especially given that Pietro Ghedin's men have yet to win in this qualification campaign and have only scored one goal in the four matches they have played.

Football: Balotelli lauds goal but rues missed chances

March 22, 2013 09:31
Mario Balotelli admitted he should have scored more in a 2-2 friendly draw with Brazil despite scoring a superb equaliser for the Azzurri. Italy, the four-time World Cup winners, went in for the half-time break 2-0 down to the five-time champions following goals from Fred and Oscar. However Cesare Prandelli switched from from a two-man attack to a 4-3-3, giving Italy more width. It proved a decisive move, with two goals coming from Italy in the space of three minutes courtesy of Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Balotelli.

Italy coach Prandelli praises team player Balotelli

March 21, 2013 19:45
By Brian Homewood GENEVA (Reuters) - Mario Balotelli earned lavish praise for his team spirit from Italy coach Cesare Prandelli following his performance in the 2-2 draw in a friendly against Brazil on Thursday. "I know how he really wants to be one of the best in the world but he has to remember how he can get there, and that is through team work," Prandelli told reporters. "That is what he did tonight, like a true champion."

Italy's Balotelli upstages Neymar in Brazil draw

March 21, 2013 18:00
By Brian Homewood GENEVA (Reuters) - Italy striker Mario Balotelli left his Brazil counterpart Neymar in the shadows as he capped an inspiring performance with a majestic goal in a 2-2 international friendly draw on Thursday. Balotelli curled an unstoppable shot past Julio Cesar as Italy recovered from 2-0 down at halftime to deny Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari his first win since being reappointed for a second stint in November.
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