Berlusconi: Balotelli is a rotten apple

 

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has rubbished rumours that the club could sign Mario Balotelli, describing the Manchester City forward as a "rotten apple".

It was thought Balotelli could have been brought in to replace the already-departured Pato and Robinho, who was expected to leave the club in the current window, but the 76-year-old has officially ruled it out.

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Cristiano Ronaldo remains in Messi's shadow after Ballon d'Or defeat

 

Lionel Messi made history on Monday night, securing his fourth Ballon d'Or - more than any player has ever managed.

The Argentine's brilliance saw him deservedly crowned the best player in the world, but spare a thought for Cristiano Ronaldo, who was once again pipped to the post by the Barcelona man.

Leading Real Madrid to the Liga title over the Blaugrana was not enough for the Portugal captain, who couldn't even grab more attention with his suit than Messi at the glitzy ceremony in Zurich.

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You're free to go - Mourinho forced to concede defeat in Casillas bench row

 

Jose Mourinho's battle with Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas took another twist on Sunday night, when the Portuguese boss was forced to call upon the Spanish goalkeeper to replace Antonio Adan after his red card in the 4-3 win over Real Sociedad.

In the build-up to kick-off, the Santiago Bernabeu crowd cheered the shot-stopper's name as it was read out on the tannoy, which was in stark contrast to the greeting that welcomed the manager, who was roundly booed by his own fans.

After being pegged back twice, a Cristiano Ronaldo double ensured victory for the Liga champions, yet for Mourinho, he was forced to concede a notable defeat as Casillas returned to the fold..

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Super Van Persie rescues Manchester United in the nick of time

 

Robin van Persie scores when he wants. What started as a defiant chant by Arsenal fans last season has now been adopted by gleeful Manchester United supporters but, no matter who is doing the singing, they appear to be right.

The Dutchman has continued the blistering form which enabled him to light up north London last season, and on Saturday he notched his 20th goal of the season for United with a last-minute equaliser against West Ham.

Sam Allardyce's men thought they had booked their passage into the FA Cup fourth round courtesy of two James Collins headers but, at the death, substitute Van Persie sensationally took a brilliant lofted pass from Ryan Giggs in his stride before rifling the ball low into the net with his supposedly weaker right foot.

The two sides will now have to do battle again to see whose FA Cup dream will stay alive, and only a fool would bet against Van Persie making the difference again.
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A helping hand

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Pato back to Brazil

 

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Sam Allardyce picks up Raggedy-Ann dolls Joe Cole & Marouane Chamakh

 

Limp and hung out to dry, Joe Cole and Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh had become two of the footballing wilderness' most high-profile members in the last six months.

Fortunately, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has always been a man to appreciate the quality of vintage goods, and was quick to sign the duo on Friday in the early days of the January transfer window.

Snapped off the shelf and handed a second chance at Upton Park, 31-year-old Cole will be hoping for a happy return to east London, while the Moroccan's six-month loan spell is a perfect chance to show his worth to his parent club in the north of the capital...
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Mancini finally explodes after reaching Balotelli boiling point

 

Roberto Mancini has stood by Mario Balotelli through all the fireworks in the bathroom, red cards, camouflaged Bentleys and grass allergies.

But tensions finally seemed to come to a head at Manchester City's training ground on Thursday, when Mancini took exception to a tackle by the striker on Scott Sinclair, leading to a physical altercation.

However, despite the fireworks at Carrington, Mancini does not appear to have severed ties entirely with the striker.

“Will Mario have more chances? I will give him 100 chances as long as I can see him trying to improve and working hard for this football club,” he told reporters on Friday morning.
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Redknapp teaches dopey Benitez a lesson

 

Down, out and languishing at the foot of the Premier League table, Harry Redknapp's QPR seemed all but relegated going into Wednesday's clash with Chelsea.

Prior to kick-off, the former Tottenham boss had teased his counterpart Rafa Benitez, insisting he would have to be "a dope" not to succeed with the talent-laden squad available to him at Stamford Bridge.

Whether Redknapp's jibes were intended or not, they most certainly worked, with the Rs snatching a shock 1-0 win against their west London rivals, and Benitez well and truly taught a lesson by 'Arry...
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Chicharito & Van Persie two peas in a pod

 

Manchester United continued their march towards reclaiming the Premier League title with a 4-0 victory over Wigan on Tuesday which came largely thanks to Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez.

The strikers bagged two goals apiece at the DW Stadium to ensure the Red Devils maintained their seven-point lead at the top of the table, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson later hailing his peashooting duo.

Indeed, Van Persie and Chicharito's form could be concerning for fellow forwards Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney, with the pair making goalscoring look easy peasy as of late...
 

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