[ 2014-10-24 ]

Mario Balotelli's shirt swap angers Liverpool
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli faces a
reprimand from manager Brendan Rodgers after
swapping shirts with Real Madrid's Pepe at
half-time in the 3-0 Champions League defeat at
Anfield.

Balotelli made the exchange as his side trailed
Real by three goals, and the striker was
substituted at the break.



"It is not something I stand for," Rodgers said.

"If you want to do that, do it at the end of the
game. It is something I will deal with on
Thursday."

Rodgers, who was infuriated when defender Mamadou
Sakho did the same with Samuel Eto'o at Chelsea
last season, added: "We had an incident last year
with a player and that was something we dealt with
internally.

"It's something that doesn't happen here and
shouldn't happen here."

It completed another miserable night for
Balotelli, who disappointed in the 3-2 win against
QPR in the Premier League at the weekend.

Rodgers also made a thinly veiled criticism of the
Italian after Liverpool were completely outclassed
by the Champions League holders, who opened the
scoring through Cristiano Ronaldo's 70th Champions
League goal.

Balotelli was replaced by Adam Lallana at
half-time and Rodgers said: "It was purely
tactical - I felt we needed a bit more movement
centrally to occupy their centre-halves a bit more
and I thought Raheem Sterling would do that.

"Adam Lallana came on and was tireless in his work
rate. That is the minimum here at Liverpool - you
need to press, you need to work. Young Adam came
on and did that very well."

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was more laid
back about the episode.

"I think it is normal in football to change the
shirt at the end," he said.

"It is nothing new. Sometimes the players change
their shirt at half-time with the opponent. I
don't see a problem."

However, former England international and BBC
Radio 5 live summariser Phil Neville said: "There
are some things you don't do, when you are 3-0
down in the Champions League. You don't go
swapping shirts in full view."

Balotelli was also replaced after 45 minutes while
playing for Italy against Uruguay at the World
Cup, after picking up a yellow card in the first
half.

Italy lost 1-0 to Uruguay, confirming their exit
from the tournament and Balotelli later responded
to criticism of his performances in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Rodgers defended teenager Sterling, who
was the subject of morning headlines after he was
pictured at a nightclub the day after England's
1-0 win in Estonia - a match in which he featured
only as a substitute after telling manager Roy
Hodgson he was tired.

"It is unfortunate for him as a young kid of 19
that six days before a game and on a day off that
he can't go out," said Rodgers. "It is obviously a
story for some but I think many people will look
at it and think there is not a story in it.



"I thought he was terrific against Real Madrid and
he is very focused on his work as a young
footballer."

Source - BBC

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