Mario Balotelli has apologised for the red card that may mean he has played his last game for Manchester City and said he is desperate not to lose his Italy place because of it. City boss Roberto Mancini said that he will not use the 21-year-old forward again this term and would "probably" try to sell him in the close season after his dire disciplinary record continued when he was sent off in Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Arsenal.
It was Balotelli's fourth sending-off since he joined City in 2010 and Mancini has lost patience with a player who has also frequently hit the headlines for a series of off-field incidents.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, who has twice dropped Balotelli in the past after violent-conduct suspensions in accordance with his code of conduct for the national team, said he will decide whether to keep the player in his set-up after looking at replays of the red-card incident. "I'm very sorry to have disappointed Mancini and City and I'm concerned that I don't ruin my relationship with the national team, which is the most important thing for me," Balotelli said in a statement given to ANSA via the player's agent Mino Raiola.
He added, however, that he did not feel he had broken Prandelli's 'ethical code', which regards violent off-the-ball incidents and off-field indiscipline. "I hope to be at Italy's training camp in April," he said.
"I've been dropped from the national team before for doing stupid things, I don't want to be dropped again.
"I committed two fouls during play. They weren't (violent) reactions".
Balotelli is set to be suspended for at least Premier League three matches after being handed a second yellow card in stoppage time on Sunday as he has already been banned twice this season.
The ban may be even longer though because of a nasty lunge into the shin of Arsenal's Alex Song that the referee did not seem to see and is therefore open to a trial-by-television punishment.
Sono bellissimo...
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