We can't buy until we sell, says Mancini as Man City tighten the purse-strings

Manchester City might have spent more than £600million on new players under Abu Dhabi rule, but manager Roberto Mancini admits he must sell before he can buy when the transfer window reopens next week.

Carlos Tevez, still valued at £40million by City, would command by far the biggest transfer fee and Mancini also hopes to offload defenders Wayne Bridge and Nedum Onuoha.

He is concerned that injuries could derail City’s Premier League title challenge, with Yaya and Kolo Toure set to be missing for a month from mid-January on African Nations Cup duty.

But after more than three years of lavish spending, City’s wealthy owners are insisting on a more pragmatic approach.

‘Now we need to sell two or three players and then we’ll see,’ said Mancini. 

‘We want to sell and after that we may have time to buy someone if it’s possible.

‘But it’s not easy. I ask the owner for Messi but it’s not possible! 

‘Until now we have been lucky because we didn’t have any big injuries. This could be a problem in January because we lose Yaya and Kolo, and I hope we don’t lose any other players through injury.’ 

City have been linked with Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen, Lille’s Eden Hazard and Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote among others, but Mancini claims that clubs routinely ramp up the price when City inquire about their players.

He also admitted that another potential target, Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi, will be difficult to lure from the Italian capital.

‘De Rossi was born in Rome and it’s unlikely that he’ll leave the city,’ said the City boss.

‘There are players that could be good for us, but every time we want to buy a player their clubs ask for lots of money.’ 

City are top at Christmas for the first time in 82 years and will look to maintain their advantage when they visit West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

But Mancini has told his players that they must be mentally prepared to fall behind Manchester United during the course of the title race if they are to succeed in deposing their rivals as champions.

source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Man U calm over Euro reprieve bid

MANCHESTER UNITED are keeping calm about their chances of a return to the Champions League.

Alex Ferguson's side went out at the group stage after losing 2-1 in Basel this month.

But the Red Devils were given a glimmer of hope because of a long-running row between Sion — Basel's Swiss rivals — and football chiefs.

FIFA announced they will suspend the Switzerland FA unless the country's league deducts points from Sion for registering six players signed during a transfer ban.

When a national association is suspended, none of its teams are allowed to play foreign opponents and that would stop Basel meeting Bayern Munich in Champions League's last 16.
But sources believe a compromise will be met by the January 13 deadline.

An insider said: "United can't see it coming to anything."
While the word within FIFA was that any reprieve was "a long shot".

source: www.thesung.co.uk

Mancini fury as Balotelli hits Manchester nightlife ahead of Chelsea clash

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli faces the wrath of manager Roberto Mancini after preparing for Monday night's crucial game at Chelsea with a late night out that ended in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

Italian striker Balotelli is in the City squad for what is arguably their biggest game of the Barclays Premier League season at Stamford Bridge. 

But Sportsmail understands that Balotelli was out until at least 12.45am in Manchester city centre after a Saturday night out with friends.

City yesterday declined to comment on the alleged incident, but did confirm that first-team players are not expected to be socialising less than 48 hours before a game. 

Mancini is known to have a more relaxed attitude than some Premier League managers, but it is clear he will be unimpressed with another lapse in discipline from the controversial Balotelli. 

The 21-year-old was not thought to have been drinking alcohol in the Zouk Bar and Restaurant but was described by one eye witness as behaving 'boisterously' with a group of friends. 

City had their last training session before the clash in west London on Sunday morning, meaning Balotelli will not have had a full night's sleep beforehand. 

Sources at the Etihad Stadium told Sportsmail that Mancini does not have a problem with players enjoying a mid-evening meal out in the run-up to a game.

However, it was also made clear that the City boss will view a night out that ends in the early hours as a step too far. 

Mancini has gone to extraordinary lengths to accommodate Balotelli during the young centre forward's season-and-a-half in England. 

And there have been times recently when the former Inter player appeared to be listening. But this latest episode underlines that Balotelli still refuses to take some things on board. 

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Messi, Ronaldo and Xavi shortlisted for Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi have been shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2011, FIFA and France Football magazine have announced. 


Messi won the inaugural award last year after FIFA's World Player of the Year crown and France Football's Ballon d'Or gong merged.

The Barcelona forward is the favourite once more after another stunning season at the Nou Camp in which he scored 53 goals in all competitions.

Argentinian Messi was Barca's top scorer as Pep Guardiola's men retained the Primera Division title and re-claimed the Champions League trophy with a comprehensive defeat of Manchester United at Wembley.

Xavi was the architect of many of Messi's goals, the Barca veteran maintaining his position as arguably the premier midfielder in world football.

Ronaldo also scored 53 times for Real Madrid as they finished runners-up in Spain and lost out to Barca in the Champions League semi-finals.

Guardiola, Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson were shortlisted for the 2011 FIFA Coach of the Year award. 

Guardiola's men were again mesmeric in 2011, sweeping all before them with an attractive style of football. Madrid were their closest challengers, narrowly losing out in the domestic league and in Europe. They did, however, gain a degree of revenge by lifting the Copa del Rey with a 1-0 defeat of the Catalans in Valencia.

In addition to guiding United to the Champions League final, Ferguson also led the Red Devils to a record 19th English championship - the 12th under the Scot's stewardship.

United were also represented in the category for the 2011 goal of the year - the FIFA Puskas award - with Wayne Rooney nominated for his stunning overhead kick against Manchester City last season.

 The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Zurich on January 9, 2012.

source: www.soccernet.com, www.fifa.com