'All good' says Micah Richards after punch-up with Balotelli

TO SOME he's "Mad Mario" to others he's "Bonkers Balotelli" but whatever the nickname the behaviour of Mario Balotelli remains as baffling as ever. A week that began with the 21-year-old Manchester City striker breaking the club's curfew to enjoy a boisterous meal with friends ended with Balotelli involved in what the Daily Mirror describes as an "amazing bust-up".

With City having lost their last two matches, passions were always going to be running high when the Sky Blues squad convened at their Carrington training ground on Thursday. City face Arsenal on Sunday knowing they can't afford another defeat with Manchester United now only two points behind them at the top of the table.
 
According to the Mirror passion turned to punching as Balotelli squared up to England defender Micah Richards. The catalyst for the festive flare-up was a pass from Richards that didn't fall at the feet of Balotelli. "If you won't pass to my feet, I won't move," he told Richards, who then suggested his team-mate might like to "grow up".

Balotelli's response was to direct "a string of expletives in Italian" the way of Richards. The England star then launched himself at Balotelli and in the words of the Mirror "the pair laid into each other and had to be pulled apart by shocked team-mates".

City manager Roberto Mancini then tore a strip off the duo before ordering Balotelli and Richards to shake hands and make up. A club official said afterwards that the matter was now closed and no further action would be taken. Micah Richards later took to Twitter to reassure the fans and photographers who had witnessed the handbags. "Me & Mario are all good! these things happen in training & we shook hands after. it shows passion! #ctid"

While Richards's behaviour may have been out of character, Balotelli is well known for his training ground tantrums. A year ago he grappled with former City defender Jerome Boateng after a heavy tackle, and in April this year he had a wrestle with club captain Vincent Kompany – again after taking exception to a challenge. Then in August Balotelli had a barney with Aleksandar Kolarov in what the Daily Mail described as "another unsavoury scene". ·