A few musings to track…
Keep it here as the day wears on for more news and info, will keep updating as more news comes to the forefront.
MILAN - Davide Massa will referee Milan-Udinese on Sunday evening. He'll be assisted by Luca Maggiani and Roberto Iannello with Marco Barbirati as fourth man and Daniele Orsato and Maurizio Ciampi behind the goals.
The versatile 26-year-old has been capped 16 times for the Netherlands and moves to Craven Cottage, becoming manager Martin Jol’s second signing of the transfer window
The 22-year-old has thanked the club’s supporters after they sang his name during the 0-0 draw with QPR on Tuesday and praised his former manager for showing faith in him
MILAN - Mario Balotelli is undergoing his physical at the Milan Lab gym at the Milanello sports centre.
MILAN – A second goal for the Allievi Nazionali captain Alessandro Mastalli for the Italian side. The player scored on his debut and got a second in the match that ended 4-3 for Viscidi’s team. Calabria and Meleleo were also on the field.
MILAN - Mario Balotelli will be presented to the press tomorrow at 19.00 at the Sala Executive in the San Siro.
Press accreditation is available at press@acmilan.it
The Milan president has made it clear that the former Inter player remains a key part of the club’s squad, regardless of any new arrivals
MILAN - The club's link with the town is strongest through Franco Baresi and although it was weakended when Andrea Pirlo left for Juventus, it's now stronger with Balotelli in the team!
MILAN - Mario Balotelli had his first dinner as a Milan player yesterday evening at Giannino's. Here are the photos.
The Gazzetta dello Sport: Front page: BALOTELLI FIRES UP MILAN – Welcomed like a rock star, fans go crazy: “It’s been a long time that I wanted to some here” – Inside pages: MARIO MADNESS: FINALLY MILAN – RECEIVED LIKE A STAR – BERLUSCONI PHONESThe Corriere dell Sport: Inside pages: CRAZY FOR BASLOTELLI – SuperMario’s joy – “We’ll be big together” – BARABERA BERLUCONI: “Milan only signs champions” – FROM MALPENSA AIRPORT TO DINNER, WHAT A DAY: Too much enthusiasm: accidents.
Tuttosport: Page One: BERLUSONI: “Rotten apple? No” – “I’LL WIN YOU OVER”, Balotelli madness – SUPERMARIO LIKE CASSANO AND RONALDO, DECISIVE JANUARY SIGNINGSCorriere della Sera: Page One: SUPERMARIO, Balotelli Mania Hits Milan “I knew sooner or later I’d be a Milan player” – NOSTALGIA, MAMMA AND PAPA WANTED HIM HOME.
La Repubblica: Inside Pages: MARIO’S RETURN TURNS THE TABLES
Il Giornale: Inside Pages: BALOTELLI “I CAME RUNNING” Galliani: “The first Top Player after Ibrahimovic. Berlusconi wanted him.”
The Foreign Press
-The Sun
-El Mundo Derportivo
-La Bild
-L’Equipe
-Uefa.com
The former Manchester City striker has put pen to paper and completed his move to San Siro, ending a two-and-a-half year controversy-filled spell at the Etihad Stadium
The young forward still has a contract for four-and-a-half years, but the Serie A giants are keen to hold on to him for an additional season
The striker is on the verge of returning to Serie A after completing his medical on Wednesday afternoon but was greeted by hundreds of supporters, who clashed with police
As clubs across Europe prepare to shut up shop until the end of the season, Arsenal and QPR are among the English top-flight sides expected to push through late deals
MILAN - Mario Balotelli is starting his new career back in Italy and the striker's Milan shirt is ready for you buy online.
SuperMario will be wearing the number 45 shirt for the club and Rossoneri fans can click on the link below to make their purchase.
BUY YOUR BALOTELLI NUMBER 45 SHIRT HERE
I am just as guilty! Yesterday we had a Little Balotelli Day and it was a BLAST! We celebrated, talked tactics, and simply enjoyed a small bit of good news on this roller coaster of a season. I say “good news” liberally and I will elaborate on that later, but having your Club in the news, for a splash like this one, is always a good time.
The problem is, as the Title suggests, we have been duped. We have been duped into believing this transfer window was a success. I mean sure we sold Pato, a WIN, but in terms of truly helping the team this was a failure. Our courtship of attackers, specifically Kaka and then the purchase of Balotelli shows that the Owner of this Club continues to meddle in the business and best interest of the Team and that strikers remain a priority no matter what. We can have seven on the roster and he wants, no, demands more; while the team struggles at the back. The problem is like Berlusconi, most fans are enamored by offense. Goals is the buzzword, never balance, so much show that players are often measured not by what they accomplished in the season but the number of goals at the end!? This does not make for a successful team, campaign or transfer window.
Our real need this window was a CB to repair the void created by the departure of Silva and Nesta. Scoring goals has not been the problem this season, but conceding them has. While I realize the window is not technically over $20M spent for team with little money makes that relatively clear. We added Zaccardo to the team, and he may prove beneficial, but players like Santon and Astori were simply pipe dreams glossed over by the banner buy of Mario Balotelli!
Yes we said goodbye to some deadwood…Pato, Mesbah, Urby on loan to Fulham and we welcome a dynamic attacker in the form of Mario Balotelli who is filled with possibility and potential. But we did not address our needs to make this team better in the long run. Sure it was great to celebrate and prove that Milan can still swing a deal now and again but at the end of they day the team has not improved as I would have hoped and expected.
(IN THE PHOTO: Mario Balotelli with Adriano Galliani wearing a Milan scarf)
MILAN - Mario Balotelli left London’s Heathrow airport at 15.00 on Wednesday and landed at Milan’s Malpensa airport at 16.40 along with Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani.
SuperMario spoke briefly to the gathered press before travelling to nearby Busto Arsizio to complete a medical.
During a break in the medical, club president Silvio Berlusconi called Mario to welcome him to the club.
VIEW THE FIRST PHOTOS OF MARIO ARRIVING IN MILAN
MILAN - Mario Balotelli has touched down at Milan and we have the first photos from the arrival at the airport. Click here to view them.
FILIPPO INZAGHI is currently coaching the players that could be the Champions League stars of the future but he’s certainlyRead the Rest…
The Italy forward has revealed his happiness at leaving Manchester City for the Rossoneri and spoke of his wish to make the club “great again”
MILAN - Adriano Galliani has been speaking to the press after Mario Balotelli touched down at Malpensa airport. He said: "I certainly do not have to present Mario Balotelli. It is a dream come true and something that we all wanted, with the president Silvio Berlusconi at the forefront. With the arrival of Mario, we have strengthened our team a lot. We have worked so hard and Mario has been in our hearts for a long time and finally we have succeeded in signing him."
MARIO BALOTELLI is happy to finally come to Milan and hopes to help Milan being even greater. Milan completed oneRead the Rest…
MILAN - Now free from injury, Mathieu Flamini has been enjoying his return to first-team action. The midfielder said: "I am forming a good partnership with Montolivo. I run and chase while he organises the play. I feel fit and I am ready to answer the coach's call. The Udinese game will be important and it is a positive that we have signed Balotelli as he is a good player.
MILAN - Filippo Inzaghi has been speaking to uefa.com about his extraordinary Champions League memories. Click here to read the article.
The Nerazzurri chief believes their arch-rivals may have pulled off a fine capture, but also noted the risks they have taken in purchasing the controversial striker
The team gathered at Milanello on Wednesday, January the 30th for a session that started with a warm-up but moved on rapidly to a series of sprint drills in the covered area.
The team then worked with the ball for 50 minutes before moving to the central pitch for more speed drills over longer distances.
Boateng, Bojan, El Shaarawy and Traoré trained in the sanded-area after completing the ball-work drills.
The club official believes the capture of the Manchester City forward has shown the footballing world that the Italian side still have the finances to entice top players
MILAN - Here are some excerpts from the charming editorial by Mario Sconcerti in today's Corriere della Sera: "….. Balotelli is certainly an important player. He has physical power and quality. Even with his life as an athlete on half speed, he was placed int the list of finalists for the golden Ball. For five years he has been amongst the best Under 23 on the planet. The awards are not Italian, they are awards that come from around the world. So you can seriously suspect that under his indolence there is lurking the champion.
"He is very skilful and is reminiscent of the left-foot of Gigi Riva updated with the timing and power of a player of African origin. His gait is slow, almost lazy, that turns into a fake of laziness. There are few times that football has given us so many gifts in the same person, pity that until now Balotelli has taken his gift with a little measure of boredom. Bringing him to Milan will not be painless. Pazzini, for example, with his current 10 goals, has scored more than Balotelli has ever scored in an Italian championship. there may also be problems of living with El Shaarawy. Nothing too complex if Balotelli will understand quickly that his team-mate is a phenomenon.
"Balotelli is a pure attacking striker. He is certainly a great buy."
The Brazilian attacker has little doubt that the Italy star striker will be a success at San Siro, and has stressed his side have reached a crucial stage of the season