Roberto Mancini will be searching for answers after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup, and his mother has helpfully provided one: Mario Balotelli should have been called up.
Speaking on Rai Radio 1 on Friday, Marianna Puolo said Mancini's Azzurri would have benefited from Balotelli's power, and his inclusion could have staved off what played out in Palermo, where Italy lost 1-0 to North Macedonia.
Balotelli, a one-time teenage wonder who now plays for Adana Demirspor in Turkey's Super Lig, has long been a favourite with Mancini, dating back to their time together as player and coach at Inter and Manchester City.
Now 31, Balotelli earned a recall for an Italy training camp at the beginning of this year. He had not been capped by Italy since head coach Mancini played him three times in 2018, which followed a four-year absence from the national team.
There was no room for Balotelli in Italy's squad for the World Cup play-offs, however, and the semi-final defeat to North Macedonia means the four-time champions will miss this year's finals in Qatar, just as they were absent in Russia four years ago.
"We had the game in our hand, but the attack was not great," said Mancini's mother.
"What would I have done different? I would have called Balotelli, because he has incredible physical strength and nobody stops him in front of goal.
"Sometimes he does stupid things, but I would have called him."
Italy had 32 shots but could not find a goal against North Macedonia, who had four and hit the back of Gianluigi Donnarumma's net in stoppage time, breaking Italian hearts.
Puolo agreed with her son's post-match verdict that it would go down at the biggest disappointment of his career.
"Yes, because in his career he has more or less always done well," she said. "I heard him this morning, he was sorry, but we know that these things happen in sport."
Jorginho's 90th-minute missed penalty at 1-1 against Switzerland in Italy's penultimate group-stage qualifier ultimately proved highly costly. Had he tucked it away, Italy would have likely not needed a play-off.
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho also missed from the spot in the first game against Switzerland, which finished as a draw, too.
Mancini's mother gave her verdict on Jorginho, saying: "Of course he didn't do it on purpose, poor thing, but if you miss two or three penalties, in the end, you pay for it."
Pat Cummins says every member of the Australia side proved they can thrive in Asian conditions after they sealed a 1-0 Test series win over Pakistan.
Nathan Lyon took 5-83 and outstanding captain Cummins claimed 3-23 as the tourists won by 115 runs on the final day at Gaddafi Stadium to claim the Benaud-Qadir Trophy.
Both bowling attacks were made to toil on flat pitches throughout the three-match series in Australia's first tour of Pakistan since 1998.
Pakistan were unable to avoid defeat under pressure in Lahore, though, collapsing from 165-3 to 235 all out.
Test Championship leaders Australia face Sri Lanka in a two-match series in July and travel to India next year.
Man of the match Cummins says they will take huge confidence from beating Pakistan in their own backyard when they take on those challenges.
"It's probably potentially not as spinning conditions here as we might get in Sri Lanka," said the paceman.
"But I think in the past Asian tours that I've been on, there's a lot of talk when we leave Australia that we've got to change everything about our game to succeed over here.
"This is a good lesson that the basics of batting or bowling that make you a good player in Australia can hold up over here. If anything, I think it's reaffirmed that our games will hold up."
The number one Test bowler in the world added: "The amount of confidence we'll get out of winning over here, not just as a team but so many individuals.
"Every individual had their moment and has shown that their game stands up to Asian conditions. So it's huge for Sri Lanka later in the year, India next year. That's awesome."
For the time being, the tourists will savour a richly deserved series win.
Cummins said: "Everyone's just totally elated. Winning overseas just doesn't happen very often. It's been a real toil for the last 25, 30 days.
"We knew it was going to be totally different to normal life in Australia, under different conditions. And to come away with a series win is hugely satisfying."
Fabio Capello believes Italy's failure to qualify for back-to-back World Cups is due to a national obsession with following Pep Guardiola's Barcelona blueprint.
Former Milan, Real Madrid, Juventus and Roma boss Capello claims Italian football should have been following the German 'heavy metal' model rather than copying the more intricate noodling of the Spanish style of play.
Capello, who also coached Russia and England, cannot see why Italy would go against their great strengths by trying to match the high technical levels of Spain.
He told Sky Sport Italia: "The explanation is very simple. I have been saying for a long time that we are copying Guardiola's football of 15 years ago."
The 75-year-old Capello said this meant "all sideways passing, no verticality, little physical strength".
Guardiola built a Barcelona team on a possession-based game that was full of nuance, with players drilled to understand and adhere to its intricacies, and they became arguably the greatest club side of all time.
Capello does not see Italian players having the skill set to follow such a formula for success.
"Instead we should follow Klopp's model, a German-style football," Capello said.
Italy won the delayed Euro 2020 tournament last year, beating England on penalties in the Wembley final, but a 1-0 play-off semi-final defeat to North Macedonia on Thursday knocked them out of contention to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
Roberto Mancini's team had 564 passes to 309 by North Macedonia, owning 65.4 per cent of possession, and led the shot count 32-4, only to be stunned by a stoppage-time goal from the visitors in Palermo.
The Azzurri will be spectators from a distance for the tournament in November and December, having also missed out on the Russia 2018 finals.
"Macedonia on a physical level were superior to us in terms of dynamism, strength and determination," Capello said. "It is all clear: until we understand that the model to be copied is the German one, we will not move forward, because if we want to do it like the Spaniards, who have a superior technique, we will never be able to do it, we always do it at 50 per cent."
Capello said the Italian team to take heed of the German example were Atalanta, whose results showed it had benefits. They sit fifth in Serie A, having finished third last season, and are through to the Europa League quarter-finals.
"In Europe we play at a different pace, and we are not used to it," Capello said. "At the base there is this wrong idea of football. We are the country of passing back to the goalkeeper."
Eden Hazard's Real Madrid injury nightmare could be in its final stages after the club confirmed he will have surgery to remove an osteosynthesis plate from his right fibula.
The 31-year-old has had almost chronic issues with his ankle in recent years, breaking it while on international duty with Belgium in 2017 and requiring a small metal plate to be implanted as a healing aid.
Muscular issues around that area of his leg reportedly started to become a more regular problem after being on the end of a strong challenge from Belgium team-mate Thomas Meunier during a Champions League game between Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in November 2019.
Shortly after returning from that "micro-fracture", Hazard suffered a more serious break to the fibula in February 2020, which required a larger metal plate to be inserted the following month.
Widespread reports since then have suggested Hazard feels that second plate has been the cause of his subsequent discomfort, with Madrid daily Marca claiming in March 2021 that he asked for it to be removed, but he and the club apparently could not come to an agreement.
But it would seem Madrid have finally given in, confirming on Friday that "in the coming days" Hazard will go under the knife to have the plate taken out.
Hazard's spell with Madrid has been a massive disappointment since he joined for €100million from Chelsea in 2019.
His impact has been limited by at least 13 separate spells of absence caused by injuries or illness, with his 17 LaLiga appearances this season the most he has managed during a single season across his three campaigns in Spain.
Madrid have not revealed a timeframe for Hazard's potential return, though it will surely be hoped he can return for the club's LaLiga run-in as they look to win the title.
Gareth Bale took aim at the media again on Friday, responding to scathing recent coverage of him in Spain.
The Wales international was the hero for his country on Thursday after scoring two excellent goals to seal a 2-1 win against Austria and put them just one game away from qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar.
However, Bale has rarely featured for Real Madrid, his club side, this season, playing in just five of their 42 matches in all competitions, totalling 270 minutes on the field – the equivalent of three whole games.
Spanish outlet Marca has labelled the winger a "parasite", also accusing him of "sucking" money out of the club.
Bale had described the criticism as "disgusting" after the Austria win, and he took to Twitter on Friday to further express his exasperation, saying journalists needed to be held accountable for the impact of their reports on athletes.
"The Daily Mail shining a light on this piece of slanderous, derogatory and speculative journalism by Marca," he wrote.
"At a time where people are taking their own lives because of the callousness and relentlessness of the media, I want to know, who is holding these journalists and the news outlets that allow them to write articles like this, accountable?
"Fortunately I have developed thick skin during my time in the public spotlight, but that doesn't mean articles like these don't cause damage and upset personally and professionally to those at the receiving end of these malicious stories.
"I have witnessed the toll the media can take on people's mental and physical health."
Bale moved to the Santiago Bernabeu from Tottenham in 2013 and has won two LaLiga titles, a Copa del Rey, four Champions Leagues and three Club World Cups.
"The media expect superhuman performances from professional athletes, and will be the first to celebrate with them when they deliver," he continued. "Yet instead of commiserating with them when they show an ounce of human error, they are torn to shreds instead, encouraging anger and disappointment in their fans.
"The everyday pressures on athletes is immense, and it's as clear as day how negative media attention could easily send an already stressed athlete, or anybody in the public eye, over the edge.
"I hope that by the time our children are of an age where they are able to ingest news, that journalism ethics and standards will have been enforced more stringently.
"So I want to use my platform to encourage change in the way we publicly talk about, and criticise people, simply for the most part, not meeting the often unrealistic expectations that are projected onto them.
"We all know who the real Parasite is!"
Lewis Hamilton is eager to get his teeth stuck into another Formula One title challenge as soon as possible, but his Mercedes continues to struggle in 2022.
New regulations in F1 this season, introduced to encourage "closer racing", have already shaken up the grid – to Hamilton's detriment.
Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez would both have finished ahead of Hamilton, too, had Red Bull not suffered a dramatic double retirement.
The seven-time champion has been honest enough to acknowledge his W13 car lacks the pace of its rivals, but that does not mean he is happy to take a back seat.
"I don't currently feel too stressed, but I want to get in the fight as soon as possible," Hamilton said ahead of FP1 at the Saudi Arabian GP on Friday.
"The last race was an amazing feeling for us, given where we thought we were going to be, to come out with the result that we did.
"But we can't rely every weekend on that to happen, so we need to move fast, and move forward as fast as we can."
Hamilton would likely have been frustrated then by his performance in the first practice session later in the day, running in an alarming ninth as Leclerc and Ferrari again set the pace.
While Red Bull are confident they have mastered the issues that prompted their Bahrain DNFs, there is little evidence so far of Mercedes getting to grips with the porpoising that has caused Hamilton such problems.
Mercedes team-mate George Russell was down in 15th on Friday, but he at least appears a little more patient in his first year with the team.
"In Formula One, things change incredibly quickly," Russell said. "We are very fortunate that the calendar is not very dense at the start of this season, and even if it's a couple of months, we're only six or seven races down out of a 23-race season.
"If you come out of the blocks incredibly fast after the summer break, even as Mercedes and Lewis did last year, you're still in with a shot.
"So, we need to be in almost damage limitation mode at the moment, pick up the pieces where there's an opportunity, and don't throw away unnecessary points."
Mercedes have not failed to take either a pole position or race win through two grands prix of a season since 2013.
Meanwhile, Russell could become the second Silver Arrows driver – after Michael Schumacher in 2010 – to complete three races without reaching the podium, having deputised for Hamilton once while with Williams.
England manager Gareth Southgate said Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup shows how well his team have done since their agonising Euro 2020 final defeat.
The Azzurri were shocked by North Macedonia in the play-off semi-final on Thursday, losing 1-0 in Palermo to a stoppage time goal from Aleksandar Trajkovski, and will now miss their second consecutive World Cup.
Southgate suffered at the hands of Italy last year as he saw his Three Lions team beaten on penalties at Wembley in the final of Euro 2020, but while Roberto Mancini's team were unable to book their place in Qatar, England eased through their group, winning five and drawing two of their World Cup qualifiers since losing to the Azzurri.
Speaking at a media conference ahead of Saturday's friendly against Switzerland, Southgate said: "It was a big surprise [Italy losing]. It's clear that sometimes teams have a cycle. Whether that was the cycle or the after effects of the [Euro 2020] final and the emotion of it and everything else.
"I think that's where our players did so well, to recover from the emotion of the final and to perform as they did in the autumn was absolutely fantastic. I think qualifying is [easily underestimated], so I suspect looking at the results and performances, the way they went, Italy were in that position."
Jordan Henderson joined Southgate in front of the media, and also refused to celebrate the Italians' misfortune, saying when asked if the result made him smile: "Not really, to be honest. I'm just concentrated on what we need to do and teams that will be in the World Cup.
"I think what that does show is how difficult qualification can be. I think sometimes that's taken for granted and it's expected that you qualify for a World Cup or a Euros, so [Italy's loss is] proof that if you're not 100 per cent at it, you can be punished."
Southgate also revealed that the three debutants called up to his latest squad, Kyle Walker-Peters, Tyrick Mitchell and Marc Guehi, are likely to get minutes against either Switzerland or the Ivory Coast in the next week.
"Emile [Smith Rowe] didn't train today, so I would think unlikely he'll be involved tomorrow," he said. "Raheem [Sterling] is absolutely fine, it was a shame to lose Bukayo [Saka, following a COVID-19 test].
"We're going to have debuts this week for sure, whether it's tomorrow or Tuesday."
England manager Gareth Southgate appeared to dismiss the idea of the Three Lions boycotting the Qatar World Cup as a form of protest.
Qatar's poor human rights record has been a concern during the build-up to the 2022 finals, and England captain Harry Kane revealed on Wednesday that he and his fellow senior players are looking to do something to help raise awareness of these and other issues around the tournament.
The Gulf nation's stance towards women and the LGBTQ+ community was widely pointed to as a problem before FIFA awarded it the tournament in 2010.
Meanwhile, the deaths of thousands of migrant workers have been reported during preparation for the finals, although Qatar's organising committee disputed what it called "inaccurate claims" around the number of fatalities.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's friendly against Switzerland, Southgate was asked if boycotting the tournament was an option being considered.
"I don't really know what that achieves. It would be a big story but the tournament would still go ahead," he said.
"I think as soon as we have entered the tournament, that is the point you decide. We've known for years [that it would be held in Qatar]. Is the stance against Qatar as a country or the specific issue? If it is Qatar as a country, then we are intertwined with other issues like we have seen with Russia with all sorts of investment in our country.
"Are we all going to stop shopping at Sainsbury's as a protest against Qatar? We are in such a complex world with deals as we have seen in Saudi Arabia recently. On the one hand, people are talking about the investment in Newcastle, on the other we are going asking them to reduce oil prices so we can get our petrol cheaper.
"I think we are all observing and thinking this is really difficult. This is complicated. I know the issues themselves aren't but the repercussions and diplomatic relations are extremely complicated.
"It is possible [boycotting], but I don't think that is a decision myself and the players can make.
"My understanding is that the discussions that the FA has had with organisations like Amnesty International, is that they feel there would be more change if we go and these things are highlighted so that is guiding the thinking."
Southgate was joined at the news conference by Jordan Henderson, who revealed the players have been briefed on the issues around Qatar during this training camp.
"I'd reiterate what Harry said about it the other day, I think he spoke very well," the Liverpool midfielder said when asked about human rights issues. "We've been briefed this week, which is really important, on the issues that are currently happening there and have happened over the last few years.
"We're digesting that [as a team], coming up with ideas of what we want to do going forward. It's an opportunity to shine a light on issues and how we can make changes for the better.
"We don't want to rush into things... we'll continue to speak and come up with something we want to do as a team."
Reggae Boyz attacker Leon Bailey says he feels sharp after playing all 90 minutes of the team’s 1-1 draw in their World Cup Qualifier against El Salvador at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday.
The visitors took the lead in the 21st minute through an Eriq Zavaleta header off a corner before the Reggae Boyz equalized in the 72nd minute through Queens Park Rangers striker Andre Gray.
“I enjoyed the game today. I think the team enjoyed the game today and it was exciting for the fans. I thought we were brilliant in defense and attack but we didn’t take the chances,” Bailey said in an interview with SportsMax after the game.
“I felt good. Haven’t played 90 minutes in a long time. There’s much more room for improvement but I feel sharp, comfortable and ready to go,” he added.
A long time is right. The Aston Villa man hadn’t played the full 90 minutes of a game since a Premier League fixture against Southampton on November 5th.
He endured a long spell on the side-lines after suffering a muscle injury against Manchester City in December.
Jamaica have two more games in the span of five days and Bailey says he’s unsure how much of a part he’ll be able to play in those.
“I’m not sure what the plan is. I’ll speak to coach and see but, obviously, as I said, I haven’t played a full 90 minutes in a long time and having three games in such a short time, we’ll have to see how much minutes I’ll be able to play in the other two games or maybe I’ll just play one game. We don’t know,” he said.
The Reggae Boyz will next take on Canada on Sunday before ending their World Cup Qualifying campaign against Honduras at the National Stadium on March 30th.
Nathan Lyon took five wickets as Australia beat Pakistan by 115 runs in the third and final Test to claim a 1-0 series triumph.
There was nothing to separate the sides in the opening two Tests and the decider also went the distance, with Australia claiming victory inside the final session in Lahore.
Off-spinner Lyon posted figures of 5-83 in Pakistan's second innings, including the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam, while Pat Cummins picked up three for 23.
Pakistan required 278 runs heading into Friday's session at the Gaddafi Stadium, but they only managed 163 as they folded 235 all out in their reply to Australia's target of 351.
The hosts' hopes were boosted as they reached lunch on 136-2, with Abdullah Shafique (27) and Azhar Ali (17) the first to fall.
But momentum shifted when Pakistan lost the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq, who led the scoring with 70 runs, Fawad Alam (11) and Mohammad Rizwan (0) in quick succession
However, replays showed that Rizwan would have survived had he reviewed the umpire's LBW decision.
Babar, the hero in Pakistan's record fightback in the second Test, made a contribution of 55 runs before being caught by Steve Smith off the bowling of Lyon.
Pakistan's remaining four wickets went for just 22 runs, with Lyon taking Ali Hasan (13) for his fifth wicket and Cummins cleaning up Naseem Shah (1) to complete the job.
Lyon leads from the front
Pakistan's stunning resistance in the second Test and strong start to their second innings in Lahore always meant this thrilling contest was going to go to the wire.
Australia prevailed with an hour to spare in the end thanks in large to Lyon, whose 5-83 from 37 overs will go down as one of his most important Test hauls.
Rare Lahore loss for Pakistan
Australia have lost just one of their last 11 Tests against Pakistan, with this just the hosts' second loss in 13 Tests at Gaddafi Stadium, and a first since 2002 (v Sri Lanka).
This is the Baggy Greens' first away Test series win since beating New Zealand in 2016, meanwhile, and a first in Asia in 11 years.
An Everton fan who threw a bottle that struck Aston Villa player Matty Cash has been handed a four-year football banning order and suspended prison sentence.
Roger Tweedle was also given 100 hours of community service after he hurled a bottle of Lucozade towards the pitch in the game at Goodison Park in January, which Villa won 1-0.
The incident occurred in first-half stoppage time as Villa's players celebrated Emi Buendia's headed opener, which proved to be the only goal of the game.
Several objects were thrown, with one bottle hitting Cash in the face, though he was able to continue playing.
Everton confirmed shortly after the game that they had identified the supporter and the matter was being dealt with by Merseyside Police.
Tweedle was arrested by police officers, later saying when interviewed that he was "not very happy" that Villa players had been celebrating in front of the home fans.
The 19-year-old pleaded guilty on Monday at Sefton Magistrates' Court to throwing a missile towards the playing area, as well as admitting common assault against Cash, and was sentenced to eight weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months.
He was also ordered to pay a fine of £200, as well as £85 in costs and £128 to a fund for victims of crime.
Ilkay Gundogan has revealed the personal torment he feels over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, detailing a close family connection to the war-torn country.
Manchester City and Germany star Gundogan explained in an interview with German magazine Kicker that his brother's wife is Ukrainian.
Gundogan says he has found himself lost for words over the crisis, which has lasted over a month, and says he would value peace in Ukraine over anything football might bring him.
The 31-year-old is chasing a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble with City, and with Germany he hopes to be pushing for World Cup glory in November and December.
At club level, Gundogan is a team-mate of Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, and he tries to summon the right words to support a player who has been in despair while missiles strike his homeland and Russian tanks enter cities.
"It's so hard to deal with. We try to support him," Gundogan said of Zinchenko.
"My brother's wife is also Ukrainian, therefore the war also affects my family directly. We spoke on the phone the other day, but I couldn't find the words.
"You offer any help, but there is no template for how to properly deal with this terrible situation."
Asked whether the prospect of a treble was blighted by concerns over war, Gundogan said: "Definitely. As beautiful as football is and as much joy as it brings us, there is nothing more important than health and peace."
Gundogan repeated a recent message that he would be keen to stay at City beyond the end of his current contract, which expires next year.
"I'm very happy at Manchester City, football-wise there isn't a more attractive place at the moment," he said. "I can imagine staying there beyond 2023. There are no concrete talks, but we have a good relationship. I'm still patient. There's no hurry."
Gundogan is on Germany duty at present, with a friendly against Israel coming up on Saturday.
Whether midfielder Gundogan plays on for Hansi Flick's Germany beyond the World Cup remains to be seen.
He will turn 32 in October and will be nudging towards 34 by the time Germany host the next European Championship in 2024.
"If the mind and body allow it, the European Championship can be a topic," he said. "I'll decide after the World Cup."
West Ham have made donations to nine different animal welfare charities from the fine administered to Kurt Zouma.
Footage obtained by the Sun last month showed France defender Zouma kicking and slapping his cat, leading to a public outcry.
Hammers boss David Moyes has continued to select Zouma, who alongside brother Yoan is facing the prospect of an RSPCA prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act.
West Ham fined Zouma the maximum two weeks' wages, reported to be worth £250,000, and promised to donate the money to charitable causes.
A statement from the club on Friday said those payments have now been made.
"A total of nine organisations, supporting the care and wellbeing of animals both in the United Kingdom and internationally, have been identified to receive significant payments which will go towards supporting the fantastic work they do," the statement read.
"West Ham United would like to thank everyone who contacted the club to propose animal welfare charities and good causes, along with our supporters who have been involved in the process of identifying those who have received financial support, ensuring that a huge positive has come from something negative."
Cats Protection, Celia Hammond Animal Trust, Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, National Animal Welfare Trust, People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, Pussycat Lodge Trust, Humane Society, International Fund Animal Welfare, and War Paws are the charities to which West Ham have donated.
Red Bull say they have located and fixed the problem that forced the team into a double DNF at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez saw their respective challenges falter in the final laps after both suffered mechanical malfunctions.
Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, along with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, instead made up the podium as their rivals were left empty-handed.
But ahead of this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Red Bull revealed they have identified the issue as a lack of fuel pressure late on, and have now rectified the problem.
"The correct amount of fuel was in both cars, but a vacuum prevented the pumps from drawing fuel and delivering it to the engine," said a team spokesperson.
"We've taken the necessary steps to correct this issue and we expect no problems this weekend."
Red Bull will look to get their first points of the season on the board in Jeddah, where Verstappen took a second-place finish behind Hamilton last year.
The race will proceed without Sebastian Vettel, as the Aston Martin driver and four-time world champion continues to recover from COVID-19.
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