MARIO BALOTELLI’S remarkable penchant for embroiling himself in controversy at Manchester City has resurfaced in the form of an alleged training-ground confrontation with his team-mate Micah Richards.

The two players clashed towards the end of a practice match when Richards accused Balotelli, who was on the same team, of not running hard enough. Witnesses reported that words were exchanged before the two players squared up. Richards, in particular, seemed aggrieved by what had been said and the defender had to be restrained by players as he sought to prolong the argument. City’s manager, Roberto Mancini, also got involved to keep them apart.

The pair were later understood to have shaken hands and Richards responded to the Guardian breaking the story by posting a message on his Twitter site describing them as “all good”. Richards added: “These things happen in training we shook hands after. It shows passion!”

It will, however, be added to the increasingly lengthy list of misdemeanours involving Balotelli.

Meanwhile, Luis Suarez’s disciplinary case for allegedly racially abusing Patrice Evra appears to rest on whether the Liverpool striker and his legal team can successfully argue that using the word “negro” does not necessarily have racist connotations for someone with his background in Uruguay.

After hearing evidence from both players over the past two days, the Football Association hopes to announce its verdict today. Suarez has reportedly accepted that he used the word negro and the case centres on the nuances of the Spanish language and the context in which the word was used.

Liverpool’s legal argument is that negro and its female equivalent, negra, are frequently used in Spanish-speaking countries without any negative connotations, often in the same context as someone saying “pal” or “mate”. Evra’s camp argues this is unacceptable and that it was said in a clearly derogatory manner during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Anfield in October.

Guardian Service