Mario Balotelli will face no Football Association action after the Italian striker taunted Manchester United players and supporters on Saturday. Running towards the United section at Wembley, the Manchester City player kissed his badge, gesturing towards United supporters. The Italian’s behaviour provoked an on-pitch mêlée, involving Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Patrice Evra and City coach David Platt.
If Balotelli’s provocation was not severe enough, the 20-year-old then winked sarcastically at Ferdinand as the players left the field. Unsurprisingly, the striker’s behaviour infuriated United’s frustrated players, with Ferdinand and Anderson confronted the player on the Wembley pitch, while winger Nani later criticised the former Inter star for his lack of respect.
“He was showing his badge to our fans. Anderson just took him out from in front of our fans,” said Nani. “Rio was very angry because it is not fair, it was very disrespectful to do that in front of the fans. We were not happy.”
Meanwhile, 32-year-old Ferdinand used social networking site Twitter to voice his post-match criticism of the City player: “If you score a goal and give a bit to opposing fans I kind of accept that, but at the final whistle [you should] go to your own fans and enjoy it, not opposing fans”.
Ferdinand lectured Platt on-the-field, telling the former United youth to “control his players” before pulling the 44-year-old aside to continue the debate post match.
Despite the provocative behaviour the FA will not seek to sanction the £30 million player, even though there is recent precedent involving United. Indeed, former Reds defender Gary Neville twice found the FA’s ire for provoking opposition fans – once fined £5,000 for celebrating a goal in front of Liverpool’s supporters.
And with the FA taking a hard-line on its ‘Respect’ campaign where it suits the organisation, United supporters will ponder the governing body’s inconsistent implementation of its own policy. Sir Alex Ferguson has recently served a five-match ban for criticising referee Martin Atkinson, while Wayne Rooney has missed two games for swearing. The FA’s lack of action over Balotelli only serves to underline United’s sense of frustration with the governing body in recent times.
Not that idiocy involving Balotelli can surprise supporters of any persuasion. The 20-year-old has received more yellow and red cards this season than he has scored goals, while earning a rebuke for throwing darts at a team-mate. The striker was also involved in a training ground fight with Jerome Boateng.
At Inter the striker was dubbed “unmanageable” by former coach José Mourinho, while incurring the wrath of team-mates including Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi.
Balotelli also has a history of winding up opposition – and his own – supporters, having been fined by the Italian FA for offering sarcastic appluase towards racially abusive Chievo fans. He earned a rebuke for wearing an AC Milan shirt on television, and for gesturing at Inter fans after victory over Barcelona at San Siro.
But the most recent Balotelli incident was not the only to highlight the FA’s Respect campaign over the weekend. Much like Balotelli, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish in unlikely to face FA charges after twice swearing at Arséne Wenger on Sunday. As the curtain came down on a dramatic match, Wenger reacted angrily to Dalglish’s attempted handshake, with the Scot first telling the Arsenal manager to “p*ss off” and then to “f*ck off” in quick succession, all for the aural pleasure of watching Sky Sports subscribers.
In fact Rant has recorded more than a dozen similar cases of audible swearing in the fortnight since Rooney’s FA sanction. In reality there are probably hundreds of acts of disrespect towards players, officials and fans each week, with the Soho Square-based body choosing only to enforce its own rules when the media spotlight demands.
In that there is a serious conflict between the FA’s demand for Respect – something clearly lacking in Balotelli’s actions – and the organisation’s ability to manage its campaign. There is even specific provision under section E of the body’s own rulebook to stamp out offensive and disrespectful behaviour.
“A Participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game,” states the FA’s own rule book.
“[Players] shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.”
It is a provision that the FA only enforces intermittently. Something for which Balotelli is surely grateful.
No surprise. One rule for United, a lack of any apparent rules for anyone else. FA are pathetic.
Balotelli is a top WUM. Rio should know better.
“the Soho Square-based body choosing only to enforce its own rules when the media spotlight demands.”
That’s it right there.
And that’s why the game will always be fucked up.
How do these self serving twats get their jobs in the first place?
It was a nothing incident to be honest, he should not face charges for something as petty as this. We were all unhappy about the Rooney witch hunt, yet we seem keen to start one ourselves.
There’s creating a witch hunt and pointing out the blatant hypocrisy. The article is doing the latter.
Balotelli being a WUM is alright, I don’t mind that, but I think it goes further than that with him. He genuinely seems to a be a bit out of his head, and can’t control his impulses even for the sake of actually getting on with playing the match. I don’t see it ending to well for him, he looks headed straight for the cautionary tale bin. Best thing our fans and Rio could have done is just ignore the twat, he’s really not worth the anger.
Anyway, it always makes me laugh to see players like him acting the big man. What the fuck has he done for his club so far anyway? If that £30M striker had actually scored a goal in the match he’d have a bit more to celebrate, but I suppose he managed to stay on the pitch the full 90 minutes, which seems rare for him.
The same sort of “nothing incident” they shit all over Neville for…
1 rule for anything to do with united…
I have to say that even my wife asked me during MOTD2 on sunday if the FA will speak to Wenger and Dalglish. I said “not a chance, when it is not Sir Alex or anyone connected with United”.
They are hypocrites of the highest order. I really wish Rooney can start pulling out injured more for the internationals.
The problem with all this is that FA apply their rules only when it suits them. That is the main issue and highlights that their total corrupt and incompetent nature.
I still don’t understand Ferdinand’s bitching after the match. Didn’t Michael Owen and Gary Neville celebrate like rabid dogs in front of the city fans last year?
At the end of the day, displays of emotion such as the one Mario showed on Saturday are rather commonplace. They are part of the beauty that is football. For once, United lost. Is it that hard for the United fans to accept?
Gary Neville kissing the badge in front of Liverpool supporters is called as “showing passion” by United supporters but Balotelli doing the same thing is called “showing disrespect”.
You can argue all day about Balo getting away scot free but this does not remove the hypocrisy exemplified here.
I agree with the majority of this article, that the FA is inconsistent and reactive to the whims of the media. But the argument put forward here and on ROM that any swearing should result in disciplinary action is ridiculous.
Dalglish and Wenger were caught having an argument and swearing was audible and easily lip-read. Their language was directed at each other. Rooney swore into a camera, his language (whether deliberate or not) was directed at the TV audience. I’m not saying that the FA’s ban was fair – it should have been merely a fine – but the incident is very different to Dalglish and Wenger.
Triggs – I don’t believe that Rooney either “swore into the TV camera” nor “his language directed at the TV audience”. In fact I’m certain of this – Rooney swore at the cameraman, who’s carrying a neck high steadycam, with wide aperture. But there’s something more fundamental here… where’s the rule that differentiates? Secton E of the FA’s handbook is clear – aggressive, abusive or insulting behaviour is sanctionable full stop. Doesn’t matter if its a person or inanimate object or TV audience.
Neville was disciplined for it; Balotelli wasn’t.
That’s the hypocrisy
Bolluxs…all bolluxs of the highest order, it’s the FA way to single out any person connected to ManUtd, how many times must the FA rub your greasy little faces in the FA dog shit before you realise that the FA has singled out ManUtd for their power trips?
It’s so fookin blatant…has anybody been charged since Rooney for swearing?
Anybody charged for kissing or showing the badge?
Doglish/Whinger for showing “disrespect?
The list is endless…I ain’t grepping about it but some of you simpletons here just don’t see the light even if the FA shoved a 1,000,000 Volt in ya eyes!
The United dressing room was damaged, somehow http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13130713.stm
Apparently the players were’t responsible.
Surprised the FA didn’t randomly pick a few culprits (and Evra) and ban them anyway. RESPECT dressing rooms.
Heard you explain your opinion on this on the Rantcast, and I agree with you
It was Rooney!… and he was swearing whilst vandalising!
al this crying and moaning will do fuck all. the fact that we will still be lifing trophys despite this makes it even better..
we are the best no matter how you try and fuck us over
Yes and I didn’t agree with that either. That was 5 years ago and maybe common sense has taken place. Neville at the Derby last year after the 4-3 goal was the exact same, the exact fucking same and he wasn’t playing.
Far better to look forwards rather than back. Tonight is a crucial game. It’s imperative that SAF puts out a really strong starting eleven & not “I picked a team which was strong enough to do the job”. No point in bringing on the cavalry after we go behind & no point having Gibson involved in any way. It might be an occasion to give Evra a much needed rest & play Fabio. I fancy he will start with O’Shea; I would go for the twin. Without Fletcher I’m hoping that Carrick can keep up to the pace. Let’s just get the job done. We make it much more difficult for ourselves if we lose & give Arsenal a glimmer of hope.
The FA are going to take action for Dalglish swearing and Balototelli inciting the united fans…
They’re going to ban Rooney for 3 games and send Fergie to the sand for 5 more.
i like this man^^
Carlton Cole let off with a fine for racist messages on Twitter.
So, in England, its more offensive to hurl abuse than being racist?
lolwut.
And you ask why I make fun of your FA and your league?
Stay in sunny Californica with your hairbrained remarks. ffs
Can you translate that to English?
How about German?
No one asks… no one cares… you talk shit.
‘Michelle’ Platini backs the FA’s decision regarding punishing Fergie and Rooney.
Expect the referees in the next 3 Champions League games to be bitterly against United.