Weekly Soccer News, February 27, 2012
Balotelli's ill-discipline a problem for Euros: Prandelli
Controversial striker Mario Balotelli's on-field ill-discipline could cost him a place at this summer's Euro 2012 championships, according to Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli.
Balotelli has been overlooked by Prandelli for this week's friendly against the United States in Genoa after recently returning from his fourth domestic ban since joining Manchester City in 2010.
"I don't want players who commit reaction fouls and get sent off. He seems a little agitated to me," Prandelli said. "I don't want to see players who, at the first sign of difficulty, commit reaction fouls and get sent off, leaving their team-mates to struggle with 10 men."
Balotelli scored the opening goal in City's 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday after returning from a four-match suspension for stamping on Tottenham's Scott Parker and received plenty of plaudits from assistant coach David Platt for a disciplined display.
"His work-rate was exceptional on and off the ball and his temperament was exceptional," Platt said after the win which kept the EPL favourites at the top of the table by two points.
"When a team defends deep against you have to give the ball to people that are marked and closely guarded and there are going to be kicks but you never thought there was going to be a reaction."
Italy squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris SG/FRA), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Edoardo Viviano (Palermo)
Defenders: Igniazio Abate (AC Milan), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Zenit Saint-Petersburg/RUS), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Angelo Ogbonna (Torino), Davide Astori (Cagliari)
Midfielders: Daniele de Rossi (AS Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Paris SG/FRA), Antonio Nocerino (AC Milan), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
Forwards: Sebastian Giovinco (Parma), Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter Milan), Alessandro Matri (Juventus), Fabio Borini (AS Roma)
Giggs and Scholes best ever: Ferguson
Ryan Giggs - on his 900th appearance for the club - and Paul Scholes earned Manchester United a dramatic last-gasp victory against Norwich City on Sunday, prompting manager Sir Alex Ferguson to label the pair the club's best-ever players.
Scholes continued his renaissance after coming out of retirement to answer United's SOS call with the first in the 2-1 win at impressive Norwich before Giggs poked home an injury time winner to keep pace with frontrunners Manchester City.
Grant Holt scored for Norwich, who Ferguson admitted were the better side and that United were fortunate to leave with all three points in the race for the Premier League title.
"Scholes and Giggs are the best players this club has ever had. Given the career Ryan has had, to score the winning goal with the last kick of the game... I think he deserved that," he said afterwards.
"That experience is really going to help us in the next couple of months. We won't get nervous, that's for sure. We're used to being in this situation."
Liverpool back where we belong: Warner
Liverpool's principal owner John Henry has delighted in the club's first piece of silverware since he took over in 2010.
Liverpool were taken to a penalty shootout by Championship side Cardiff City in the English season's first final of the season.
However, manager Kenny Dalglish thought that that the hard-earned victory - after defeating Chelsea and Manchester City in earlier rounds - would whet the players' appetites for more success, while Henry admitted that it was important to end a six-year drought without a trophy.
"We look at it as the first step in what we're trying to accomplish: putting the club back to where it has historically been," Henry said following Sunday's victory.
"This is the first step for this club in trying to get to the point where we're talking about things on the field rather than off the field. It's been going on for so many years now that it was time for the club to step up and win a big match like this.
"The whole club had a lot of pressure but Kenny has been extraordinary from day one."
I still believe: Ranieri
Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi's second-half strike has condemned Inter Milan to a seventh defeat in eight matches, leaving coach Claudio Ranieri on the brink of exiting the club, according to reports in Italy.
"I don't know what the president (Massimo Moratti) will do now. This is a question for him. I would say [I] should continue. I still believe in these players," said Ranieri.
Inter remain in seventh in Serie A on 36 points, nine off the Champions League qualifying places. Napoli move up to fifth.
Compiled by Marc Fox
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