Mario Balotelli and the sports stars who make a greater impact on headlines than the field of play

Thank God for Mario Balotelli. Without him, this window would’ve been so dull we wouldn’t have needed curtains.

By Paul Howarth | Football, Sport | Wednesday, 30 January 2013 at 5:43 pm

Youth policy beginning to bear fruit for AC Milan, but rumours about ‘rotten apple’ Mario Balotelli persist

Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri’s recent decision to field an attacking trio with a combined age of 60 against Sampdoria made headlines around Italy.

By Dylan Fahy | Football, Sport | Wednesday, 23 January 2013 at 3:15 pm

MOTD: Football’s back and ready to kick some balls

Saturday will be an exciting day. This weekend our country will erupt into a frenzy of colour and song; sometimes profound, often crass. Football will once again reign supreme.

By Josh Barrie | Football, Notebook, Sport | Friday, 17 August 2012 at 1:50 pm

Italian press depiction of Mario Balotelli as King Kong is naïve

In its build up to last Sunday’s Euro 2012 quarter final between Italy and England, the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport dedicated that day’s cartoon to national team striker Mario Balotelli, depicting him as King Kong mounting Big Ben, rather than the Empire State building, from where he swatted away footballs fired in by the English.

By Simon Martin | Football, Opinion, Sport | Wednesday, 27 June 2012 at 3:00 am

Referee Martin Atkinson’s incident filled season

It has been quite the eventful season for referee Martin Atkinson, even more so after he allowed Juan Mata’s ‘ghost goal’ in yesterday’s FA Cup semi-final between Chelsea and Tottenham.

By James Orr | Sport | Monday, 16 April 2012 at 6:53 pm

Why always Ronaldo?

If one player in La Liga could unveil Balotelli’s famous ‘Why Always Me?’ t-shirt this weekend, it may well be Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

By Nicholas Rigg | Sport | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 12:01 am

Adverts in which you won’t see a footballer

The football elite will advertise just about anything, from Armani underwear to erectile disfunction awareness, but a line has to be drawn somewhere… surely? Here are a few advertising campaigns we (probably) won’t be seeing…

By Simon Rice | Sport | Tuesday, 3 January 2012 at 2:58 pm

The 12 most-read blogs of 2011

2011 has been a fantastic year for the blogs. With many new, talented writers being taken on board, we’ve seen a plethora of insightful and challenging views on a myriad of topics. Personally (and I’d like to think I’m not too biased…), I think blogging is a fantasic platform for writers to discuss and debate the news with honest opinions, and a connection to their readers.

So here’s a selection of the most read articles, as well as my own Editor’s Choice.

By Laura Davis | Notebook | Thursday, 29 December 2011 at 11:15 am

Premier League review: Barmy Balotelli must keep his eye on the ball

The Noisy Neighbours have raised their voice and verve. In brushing aside Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford, Manchester City sent a ripple of worry down the spines of managers all over Europe let alone English football.

By Giles Lucas | Sport | Monday, 24 October 2011 at 4:24 pm

Super Mario – Balotelli fights crime and gets the girl

Italian striker Mario Balotelli, who joined Manchester City last summer, has had a somewhat inconsistent season on the pitch. But off it, the 20-year-old has been providing headlines on a remarkably regular basis, the latest of which involved confronting a school bully.
With more tabloid stories than he’s scored goals, you may well have missed some [...]

By Simon Rice | Sport | Wednesday, 11 May 2011 at 12:02 am