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Afternoon Ticker: Balotelli and Richards scuffle, Rowdies return and more

Balotelli Richards 1 (Reuters)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Mario Balotelli and Micah Richards were anything but all smiles in Thursday's training session.

The two Manchester City regulars were involved in a scuffle near the end of practice following a heated exchange of words. Richards had to be held back by fellow teammates when he attempted to continue the argument.

It is being reported that Manchester City is considering the scuffle between the two teammates, who usualy get on well, to be minor. Richards further stressed that point when he tweeted,  "Me & mario are all good! these things happen in training & we shook hands after. It shows passion!"

While not major, the incident is just the latest example of Balotelli's concerning penchant of getting into trouble. In recent weeks, Balotelli was caught breaking curfew and accidentally set his house on fire by lighting fireworks through a bathroom window.

Here are more stories to help get you through the day:

ROWDIES RETURN TO NASL

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have returned to the NASL.

Citrus Sports Group, LLC, the owner of FC Tampa Bay, announced that the team name has changed to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The decision to switch the club's name comes after Citrus Sports Group reached an agreement to get the exclusive rights to the Rowdies trademark from a Texas-based company. The original Rowdies played in the NASL from 1975-1984.

The Rowdies begin their 2012 season on the road against Puerto Rico on April 7.

FECAFOOT DECISION ON ETO'O TO BE ANNOUNCED FRIDAY

Cameroon's Football Federation (Fecafoot) is scheduled to make a decision on Samuel Eto'o on Friday after holding disciplinary hearings with the striker earlier this week. Eto'o was summoned along with vice-captain Eyong Enoh to the hearings after a players' strike in November forced the cancellation of a friendly in Algeria, which the players say came as a result of not getting promised money. If Eto'o is suspended by Fecafoot, he could miss 2013 African Cup of Nations and 2014 World Cup qualifiers depending upon the length of the ban.

TREZEGUET CLOSE TO DEAL WITH RIVER PLATE

Former France international David Trezeguet could soon join Argentine club River Plate. The 34-year-old Trezeguet was reported to have arrived in Buenos Aires, the city in which he grew up, to hold meetings with the club's president. A World Cup-winning forward, Trezeguet most recently played for United Arab Emirates club Baniyas SC.

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Who would you take in an all-out brawl, Balotelli or Richards? Do you think getting the Rowdies' name back will pay off for Tampa? What decision do you see Fecafoot making? Think its wise for River Plate to sign Trezeguet?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Glad to see the Rowdies are back. Hopefully other names from the past make a return as well, the LA Aztecs, and of course New York Cosmos.

    Reply
  2. Who would you take in an all-out brawl, Balotelli or Richards?

    Neither. The Rowdies FTW or FTN (See other thread)

    Reply
  3. TO. Ochocinco seems like a genuinely good guy who just wants to have fun, while TO is a jerk who got away with acting patty and childish his whole life because he can catch a football, which I see in Balotelli.

    Reply
  4. “Fecafoot”??? Sounds like something that can only be cured by combining the efforts of a dermaologist and a proctologist.

    Reply
  5. Biggest news of the day…..Rowdies getting their name back…Ironically, Rowdies was “retro” for a while. Now i guess “FC Tampa Bay” is retro.

    Reply
  6. “…and accidently [sic] set his house on fire by lighting fireworks through a bathroom window.”

    My money is on Mario Balotelli to be the first professional footballer to win a Darwin Award. Any takers?

    Reply
  7. I’ve gone from hater to lover of Mario Balotelli. I think his antics are hysterical and, for the most part, harmless.

    As far as the scuffle with Richards, that sounds like a UFC matchup that people would pay top dollar to see. But at the end of the day every footballer knows that what Richards’ tweeted is the truth – these incidents happen on the pitch all the time and are typically non-issues.

    Reply

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