Balotelli: "No comeback for Real"

AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has put his girlfriend 'into play', making a remarkable offer to the Real Madrid players that he will let Fanny Neguesha sleep with them if they are able to comeback in their Champions League semi-final tie against Dortmund, where they trail 4-1 from the first leg.

"If Real Madrid come back against Dortmund and get through to the Champions League final I'll let my girlfriend sleep with all of them", said Balotelli.

So far Miss Neguesha has not offered an opinion on whether she is keen to take up the rather bizarre offer. It's also not clear what the Real Madrid's players' current wives and girlfriends would make of it if any of the players decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

El Shaarawy going nowhere

Stephan El Shaarawy's agent does not expect AC Milan to sell the forward in the summer after Napoli were linked with a bid for the Italy international.



The 20-year-old has established himself as a key player at the San Siro and reports have suggested he is a target for Serie A rivals Napoli.



But El Shaarawy's representative Roberto La Florio believes the attacker's importance to Milan will ensure that the Rossoneri are not tempted to accept any offers at the end of the season.



"You ask me if Napoli want to sign El Shaarawy permanently," La Florio told Radio Kiss Kiss. "I must say I know nothing about this approach in this period.



"I've read that something happened in January, but I also checked that Milan refused this proposal.



"If [Napoli president Aurelio] De Laurentiis appreciates him that is a great pleasure.



"But it seems to me that Milan have made an investment. Milan's choice is to let young players grow. In addition to El Shaarawy, there is also [Mattia] De Sciglio.



"Anyway, the market will open in June, even if I think I have understood that Milan haven't got the intention to deprive themselves of El Shaarawy.



"This was showed by the fact that they renewed his deal until 2018."


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Pazzini on Napoli radar

Napoli are lining up a summer move for Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.



The Azzurri look likely to stay without Edinson Cavani at the end of the season and they are searching for potential reinforcements.



After Internacional striker Leandro Damiao opted to remain in Brazil, Napoli have turned their attention towards Milan’s Giampaolo Pazzini.



Walter Mazzarri is well aware of the player’s qualities having coached him at Sampdoria and he is convinced the Italy interantional would be an excellent addition to the squad at Stadio San Paolo.



Pazzini hasn’t managed to nail down a regular starting berth at San Siro, with the arrival of Mario Balotelli further damaging his chances.



The 28-year-old, therefore, is likely to be interested in an offer from Napoli, but only if Edinson Cavani indeed leaves the club.



In spite of starting just 15 Serie A games this season, Pazzini has scored no less than 13 goals.

Dedè's agent reveals Vasco are "awaiting Milan’s offer"

The agent of Vasco da Gama defender Dedè has revealed that the Brazilian club are still waiting for an offer from Milan.



The Brazilian is attracting interest from numerous top European clubs, including Juventus, Liverpool, Valencia, Manchester United and Benfica.



The Rossoneri are believed to be leading the hunt for Dedè's signature, but are yet to make a formal offer.



Giuliano Aranda told TMW: "Vasco are awaiting Milan’s offer.



"I believe there has been contact between the clubs and the Rossoneri’s interest in Dedè is concrete, but at the moment they have not spoken to me directly.



"Milan need to reach an agreement with Vasco before negotiating with us."



It has been reported that the Brasileirão outfit have set a €12million price-tag on the 24-year-old defender.



Aranda added: "Many European clubs are tracking him and I can also reveal there have been talks with some Russian clubs.



"The latest contact with Valencia was six months ago, while Liverpool are on the same level as Milan – that is there is interest from the Reds, but no talks between me and the English club."



The representative was also asked whether Dedè would have a preference between Italy, Spain, England and Russia.



He concluded: "At the moment Dedè is not thinking about a transfer. He is happy in Brazil and giving his all to earn a call-up for the Confederations Cup.



"Milan are certainly a fantastic club and among the top sides in the world, so playing with the Rossoneri jersey would be an honour for the lad."

Montolivo labels Balotelli a "superstar"

Ricardo Montolivo has hailed Mario Balotelli as a "superstar" following his brace in Italy's 2-0 win over Malta on Tuesday.

The AC Milan forward grabbed both goals for Cesare Prandelli's side and Balotelli's club teammate Montolivo praised the ability of the former Manchester City man after the game.



"Malta were clammed up and it was tough to find spaces. Luckily we had that superstar in attack and he sorted it out for us," Montolivo told reporters.



"I think Mario has become fully aware of his abilities and has learned not to fall into the trap of provocation. He has had a remarkable impact on Milan too and I hope he won't stop.



"Balotelli is a centre-forward and is therefore the leading point of the attack. We can even give him the ball badly, as he is so physically strong that he can hold off defenders and find space. Right now, he is a complete player."



Balotelli has scored 10 goals for club and country since moving back to Serie A in January.

Messi: "People are hoping we lose"

Leo Messi spoke to ESPN earlier ahead of Barcelona's game against AC Milan, saying that: "A lot of people are hoping we lose so they can say that this Barcelona side is finished, just like what happened last year. We have to be strong".



"It's time to make a comeback. It all started in the Milan game and this game could be the one where we finish it. We know it will be difficult because of the negative result in Italy, but there's no reason why we can’t win by the same score-line. We know one goal against us would make things difficult, but we can't worry too much about that. We are confident we can turn it around", the Argentine said in reference to the match against Milan at the Camp Nou.



Messi went on to say that: "The team has been affected by the negative results, but now is the time to pick ourselves up and get back to winning ways. That is what has been missing on the pitch".



The Argentine star described the atmosphere within the club when times are hard on the pitch: "That's the way this club is. When you lose a couple of games it seems everything is not working and when you win a couple, things are back to normal. We know this and a lot of the players have been at the club from an early age. It's crazy to be talking about making changes. Most are young players. The players are optimistic and really want to turn around the 2-0 result".

Balotelli out due to bruised leg

Mario Balotelli will miss AC Milan's Serie A match with Lazio on Saturday (1945 GMT) after picking up a knee injury in the Milan derby, club manager Massimiliano Allegri said on Friday.

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"Balotelli won't play against Lazio, he has internal bruising and he isn't available," Allegri told Milan's official TV station Milan Channel. "He's been out of action for a week and can't play."



Allegri later told reporters that the striker was "99.9 per cent" certain to not play.

Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- AC Milan are stepping up their efforts to land Manchester United winger Nani, according to reports in Italy.



- Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo believes that Radamel Falcao will not leave the club in January, even if a club meets his release clause.



- Injured Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi could be set for a move to Inter Milan in January, according to his agent.



- AC Milan are ready to flog Kevin Prince Boateng to Bayern Munich to fund their move for Manchester United target Kevin Strootman, according to talkSPORT.



- Galatasaray chief executive Lutfi Aribogan has revealed out-of-favour Arsenal left-back Andre Santos is on the club's wishlist but says there has been no contact with the Gunners.



- Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to see off competition from both Manchester clubs and Real Madrid by offering Ashley Cole a £150,000-a-week three-year deal worth £23m, according to Dailymail.



- Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, who has been linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid, should join Jose Mourinho's side if he moves to Spain, former Los Blancos striker Davor Suker has told BBC Wales.



- Chelsea are showing interest in signing Lazio midfielder Senad Lulic, according to talkSPORT.



- Jermaine Pennant is relishing the chance to get his career back on track at Wolves after joining the Championship side on loan.



- Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool, believes he can become a better player by remaining in Amsterdam.



- West Ham keeper Stephen Henderson has completed his three-month loan move to Championship club Ipswich.



- Santos midfielder Felipe Anderson is aware of reports linking him with AC Milan, but claims no contact has been made.



- Sky Sports understands Bristol City have signed former Bolton defender Nathan Battersby on a short-term deal.



- Barcelona Andres Iniesta wants to end his career at the club - dashing any feint hopes Manchester City had of signing the midfielder, according to talkSPORT.



- Arsene Wenger has asked to be kept informed of any developments involving Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, according to reports in Spain.



- Liverpool have dismissed the idea of making a £20million move for Daniel Sturridge in the January transfer window.



But Reds boss Brendan Rodgers would be interested in a deal for the England striker if he is allowed to take him on loan to begin with, according to Dailymirror.

Milan confirm interest in Marseille star

AC Milan have moved to confirm reports that they are following Marseille defender Nicolas N’Koulou.



The Cameroon international is widely regarded as one of the most talented defenders in world football, with former teammate Stephane M’Bia claiming N’Koulou was even better than Thiago Silva.



This is an interesting comparison given that the 22-year-old could easily end up replacing the Brazilian at AC Milan.



Namely, the Rossoneri have admitted they are closely following the highly rated centre-back.



“We have followed him from the days he played at Monaco,” Milan sporting director Ariedo Braida explained to La Provence.



“Personally, I even saw his first match in the ASM jersey. We are following, we are observing him as well as the others.



”Maybe we’ll hire a great defender, but we need to look well ahead. Level is very important.”



The Rossoneri are widely expected to enter the market for a new centre-back in January, with the Marseille defender high on their wish list.



Nicolas N’Koulou has joined OM in the summer of 2011 from Monaco and immediately developed into a key member of the side at Velodrome.



The talented centre-back has made 38 Ligue 1 appearances for the French giants, but has yet to score his first goal for the club.

AC Milan fined and team captain banned

The classic match between Milanese teams played this past weekend, which Inter Milan won 1-0, had severe consequence for AC Milan in aftermath. The Captain for Milan got a one-game ban and a fine was given to the club as well.



The captain of Milan, Massimo Ambrosini, received a one-game ban sanction for his unruly actions towards the referee during the match with Inter.



Italian sports newspaper, Corriere dello Sport, reported that Ambrosini, who was only a sub and was not used in the game, gave the referee, Paolo Valeri, some heated complains during the half in the tunnel that lead to the locker rooms.



Ambrosini continued his ranting melee after the game was over by stepping into the field to confront the referee, Valeri. Due to Ambrosini’s action, the Italian soccer federation gave him a one-game ban.



Also, the Rossoneri fans (Milan), held a sign, in the crowd, insulting ex-player Antonio Cassano who is now playing for Inter. The Italian soccer federation issued a fine to the Milanese club worth 8,000 Euros.

Serie A: AC Milan 0-1 Inter Milan

AC Milan lost 1-0 at home to 10-man Inter in the 161st Milan derby to increase the pressure on manager Massimiliano Allegri.

The result leaves the Rossoneri in 11th place in the Italian top flight, having won only two league matches from seven.

Walter Samuel scored the only goal of the match when he met a free-kick at the far post with a brilliant header.

Inter were down to 10 men early in the second half when Yuto Nagamoto was shown a second yellow for handball.

But despite the man advantage and creating several chances, Milan could not make the breakthrough.



Allegri is a man feeling the heat according to Italian newspapers. His side went into the derby 11th in the table, nine points behind leaders Juventus and five points behind their city rivals.

What the 45-year-old needed was for his side to make a good start in what was the biggest match of their season so far, but what happened was exactly the opposite.

Allegri was already out of the dugout when former Milan player Antonio Cassano, who was jeered throughout the match by home fans, was deemed to have been fouled by Daniele Bonera on the left side of the Milan half.

The Rossoneri manager carried out a heated conversation with referee Paolo Valeri over the decision before standing back and watching Samuel twist the knife for Inter with a brilliant header at the far post from the resulting free-kick.

Allegri's side should have been punished again moments later when goalkeeper Christian Abbiati's awful pass from his area found Diego Milito. Fortunately for the Milan number one, he blocked the Argentine striker's first effort and then saved the headed follow-up.



It was a poor start for Milan, but they created more than enough chances to not only draw but even claim what would have been their 61st win in 161 derbies. They were also handed an advantage when Japan's Nagatomo was shown a second yellow for his deliberate handball.

Riccardo Montolivo, who was one of Italy's stars at Euro 2012, led the charge with shots from distance that troubled Samir Handanovic.

He was twice forced to parry the midfielder's strikes and from the second the rebound fell to Bojan, who slipped as he tried to slide his shot past the keeper.

Montolivo also thought he had scored with a brilliant volley, only for the referee to award a free-kick to Inter for a foul on their keeper.

Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng volleyed wide from 10 yards and substitute Giampaolo Pazzini failed to convert a Robinho cross by a couple of inches, while Dutch winger Urby Emanuelson narrowly missed the target with his low strike.

In the final five minutes Robinho tried to claim a penalty after he said he was pulled down by Samuel, but referee Valeri waved away Milan's appeals.

The defeat is already Milan's fourth in the league - last season their fourth league defeat did not come until February.

El Shaarawy not for sale, says Milan

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has reaffirmed the club's commitment to keep midfield starlet Stephan El Shaarawy.



The 19-year-old winger, who joined the San Siro outfit from Genoa in 2011, has already scored four Serie A goals in six appearances this term, prompting interest from Manchester United.



But Galliani says that, whilst it is encouraging that El Shaarawy is being admired by such a big club, Milan are not contemplating selling him.



"Let's hope (Sir Alex) Ferguson will stay in love with him, but it's not in our thoughts to sell him," the Italian told reporters.



"I'd like to give peace of mind to supporters, considering we have recently renewed his deal until 2017."



The player's agent, Roberto La Florio, also recently denied that he had been in contact with United and is adamant that his client is happy in Italy.



"I have had no contact with the United. The player has been secured by AC Milan and he is happy to play for them. He has always dreamed it," La Florio told tuttomercatoweb.com.



"He has to keep both feet on the ground, thinking about this club which trusted in him, and that he is paying off with these performances."

Allegri shares blame for injury woes

Coach Massimiliano Allegri has taken part of the blame for Milan's injury problems last term.



The 45-year-old admitshe took risks as Milan were fighting for the Serie A title, but feels he would not have been criticised for his decisions had they won the Scudetto.



"The problems were in the final stages of last season. I made some mistakes, there’s no doubt about that," Allegri told La Stampa.



"The more risks you take, the more you get injured players. But the objective was worth it. We were playing for the Scudetto.



"If we had won the Scudetto last season, then no one would have discredited our work. Instead we finished as runners-up, and then people say that we’re destroying our players.



"There’s only one solution when it comes to solving traumatic injuries: start playing board games instead."



Milan have three points from their opening two Serie A games.



They resume match action on Sunday against Atalanta.