Balotelli lashes out at 'racist' detractors

Italy's forward Mario Balotelli kicks the ball during a Group D football match between Italy and Uruguay at the Dunas Arena in Natal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 24, 2014 (AFP Photo/Yasuyoshi Chiba) 

Balotelli lashes out at 'racist' detractors  - Controversial star Mario Balotelli has hit out at what he describes as his "racist" detractors after being blamed for Italy's World Cup exit.

Balotelli, 23, cut a lost and frustrated figure as Italy went down 1-0 to Uruguay on Tuesday to end their interest in the World Cup.

Coach Cesare Prandelli hauled off an ineffective Balotelli, who scored the winner in the Azzurri's opening match against England, at half-time against Uruguay.

A social media video posting on Instagram by an Italian said: "Mario, do you know what the thing is? You're not Italian, get out."

As a rare Italy international of African origin -- his birth parents are Ghanaian -- Balotelli stands out in an Italy shirt.

Balotelli replied to the video post and sent a link to his impassioned defence on his own Twitter page.

"I'm Mario Balotelli, I'm 23 and I didn't choose to be Italian," he said.

"I really wanted it because I was born in ITALY and I've always lived in ITALY. This World Cup meant a lot to me and I'm sad, angry and disappointed with myself.

"It's true maybe I could have scored against Costa Rica (they lost 1-0 last Friday), you're (in the plural) right, but then what?

"Then what's the problem? Maybe what you all want to say is this? 

"Don't put all the blame only on me this time because Mario Balotelli gave everything for the national team and didn't mess up anything (from a character point of view), so look for another excuse because Mario Balotelli has a clear conscience and is ready to go forward stronger than before and with his head held high.

"Proud to have given his all for His country. Or maybe, as you say, I'm not Italian. Africans would never abandon one of their brothers. NEVER.

"In that respect us blacks, as you call us, are light years ahead. SHAME is not that you can miss a goal or run less or more. SHAMEFULNESS ARE THESE THINGS. True Italians! True?"

It is not the first time Balotelli has been targeted by racist Italian supporters.

The AC Milan striker has several times faced racial abuse on at football grounds in Italy, most notably from Juventus fans during his Inter Milan days, before heading to England and Manchester City.

He was even racially abused at an Italy training camp in Coverciano, just outside Florence, in May in the build up to the World Cup.

In 2010 in a friendly against Romania in Austria he was abused by Romanian fans while some Italian supporters held up a banner saying: "no to a multi-cultural Italy." ( AFP )

READ MORE - Balotelli lashes out at 'racist' detractors

Rossi, Immobile and Cassano included in Italy provisional squad

Rossi, Immobile and Cassano included in Italy provisional squad - Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has announced his 30 man provisional squad for the World Cup, including Giuseppe Rossi, Antonio Cassano and Ciro Immobile in the list of players.

The Azzurri have been drawn in Group D alongside Uruguay, England and Costa Rica and kick the tournament off with a game against Roy Hodgson's men on June 14.

Rossi, Immobile and Cassano included in Italy provisional squad

Prandelli has included Fiorentina frontman Rossi, despite the former Villarreal star playing in only two Serie A matches since early January having just recovered from a cruciate ligament injury.

Cassano also makes the cut after some excellent performances for Parma this term, while Torino star and Serie A top goalscorer Immobile has also been included alongside Mattia Destro, Lorenzo Insigne and Marco Verratti. Hellas' Brazilian-born midfielder Romulo is also on the list.

Usual suspects Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Mario Balotelli, Gianluigi Buffon, Claudio Marchisio, Thiago Motta and Giorgio Chiellini are present in the squad, but there is no place for AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy, who only returned to action last week after months on the sidelines through injury.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain), Antonio Mirante (Parma)

Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gabriel Paletta (Parma), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter)

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (AC Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Romulo (Verona), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Mattia Destro (Roma), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Fiorentina). // goal.com

READ MORE - Rossi, Immobile and Cassano included in Italy provisional squad

Italy a threat despite ageing players, mavericks

Italy a threat despite ageing players, mavericks - Italy's two most influential players have a combined age of over 70, their most prolific striker is battling injury, and other key players are prone to wild swings in temperament.

Meanwhile, an unproductive youth system is struggling to replenish the talent pool and, despite his best efforts to promote younger players, coach Cesare Prandelli, 56, could end up fielding a starting XI with an average age of around 30.

Italy's national soccer players line-up for a team photo before their World Cup Group B qualifying match against Denmark in Copenhagen October 11, 2013. REUTERS/Scanpix/Liselotte Sabroe

Domestic soccer is in seemingly perpetual decline, many stadiums are in a dilapidated state, match-fixing continues to raise its ugly head, and the world's top players have gone elsewhere.

Yet for all of Italian soccer's problems, the four-times world champions remain a World Cup threat, and there is a sneaking suspicion that Prandelli, one of the game's most likeable and eloquent coaches, will somehow come up with the right formula when it matters.

His first task is to steer them through a tough-looking first-round group against Uruguay, England and Costa Rica and make sure they do not suffer a repeat of their elimination at the first hurdle in South Africa in 2010, when they went home early following draws with Paraguay and New Zealand and a defeat to Slovakia.

In nearly four years since then, he has restored Italy's credibility and largely succeeded in removing the histrionics and negativity from their game.

Against the odds he led them to the final of Euro 2012 and they nearly upset Spain in the Confederations Cup semi-final last year before losing on penalties.

Helped by a code of ethics which he has applied implacably and led to Daniele De Rossi, Mario Balotelli and Dani Osvaldo being dropped at various stages, he has shown an uncanny knack for dealing with problem players.

Italy certainly have plenty of those. 

Balotelli, who seems almost certain to lead the attack, has managed to curb the worst excesses he showed at Manchester City since joining AC Milan just over one year ago, but is still prone to mood swings and often acts as if he is carrying the world on his shoulders.

Argentina-born Osvaldo, who scored four goals in the qualifiers, has left a trail of training ground rows and other controversies behind him in his turbulent career.

De Rossi, a superb all-round midfielder, also has a wild side which has earned him a hatful of red cards during his career for AS Roma and Italy.

OLD FAITHFULS 

Italy fielded 40 players in the World Cup qualifiers as Prandelli searched for some younger blood, yet his side in Brazil is likely to feature plenty of old faithfuls.

Gianluigi Buffon, 36, remains the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper and is set to play at his fourth World Cup while Andrea Pirlo, who will be 35, is still pulling the strings in midfield.

Pirlo, who like Buffon was in the 2006 World Cup-winning team, has helped Juventus dominate Serie A over the last three seasons and remains one of the world's great free-kick specialists.

Despite their age, both players would be welcome in almost any other national team.

Other regulars in the qualifying campaign, such as Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Riccardo Montolivo and De Rossi, are all approaching or past their 30th birthdays.

Balotelli should lead the attack, although the second striker, if there is one, is one of many cards that Prandelli is keeping close to his chest.

Fiorentina's Giuseppe Rossi would be the obvious choice but the U.S.-born striker, who missed Euro 2012, is recovering from a new knee injury and may miss his second major tournament in a row.

He was Serie A's leading scorer with 14 goals and had been enjoying a superb comeback season until he was struck down again in January.

On the plus side, forwards Mattia Destro, Luca Toni, Ciro Immobile, Alberto Gilardino, Domenico Berardi and Alessio Cerci have all been scoring goals regularly this season, giving Prandelli plenty of alternatives should Balotelli and Osvaldo stray out of line.

Italy do not have a set formation but tend to tailor according to whom they are facing. They play a modern, dynamic game, with pressing and quick attacks. 

The youth system has shown some signs of life recently with the emergence of players such as midfielder Marco Verratti and Destro.

It could also be argued that the decline of Serie A is a blessing as it has given more chances for Italian players to play regular first-team soccer.

Italy emerged unbeaten from a tricky qualifying group which included Bulgaria, Denmark and Czech Republic.

They were also unbeaten in Euro 2012 qualifying and since Prandelli took over they have lost only two out of 31 competitive matches - the Euro 2012 final to Spain and a Confederations Cup group match against Brazil.

Prandelli has removed the chip from Italy's shoulder and has insisted there is no going back to the old ways of sitting back in defense and provoking the opposition.

For once, they may even have the neutrals on their side. ( Reuters )

READ MORE - Italy a threat despite ageing players, mavericks

Balotelli reference in missing plane drama draws scorn

Balotelli reference in missing plane drama draws scorn - A Malaysian aviation official came under fire on social media Tuesday for evoking black Italian footballer Mario Balotelli when discussing two passengers who boarded a missing jet with stolen European passports.

Civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman had been asked to confirm another official's assertion that the two men who boarded missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 looked "Asian".

Mario Balotelli, pictured during a Serie A match in Reggio Emilia, on January 12, 2014 (AFP Photo/Maurizio Parenti)             

The plane vanished early Saturday with 239 people aboard while en route from Malaysia to China.

Azharuddin denied they looked Asian, but he sought to emphasise that skin colour does not indicate nationality by using a reference to Balotelli -- a Ghanaian-born striker with AC Milan and Italian international.

"Do you know a footballer by the name of Bartoli (sic)? He's an Italian. Do you know what he looks like? Balotelli," he told reporters late on Monday. 

"I don't want to dwell about this but they (nationality and race) are not the same thing."

Malaysian officials later clarified that there was no suggestion either of the suspect passengers was black, but Twitter users commented that Azharuddin's strained comparison had not helped matters.

One said: "Nice work in looking for the least obvious cause for an airplane crash." 

"The case of the missing airplane, somehow, just got weirder," another said.

An extensive sea and land search has turned up no wreckage so far. The plane was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it went missing, apparently over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam.

Malaysian authorities, who say they have CCTV footage of the stolen-passport users, have come under increasing pressure from victims' families who have complained of a slow response and inadequate information.

One of the stolen passports was Italian, the other Austrian. The revelation has raised fears of a hijack or terror motive behind the plane's disappearance.

"Yes, I think the Balotelli profile referring to the two phantom passengers is insensitive," another user posted.

"And you wonder why Balotelli wears 'why always me?'" another one posted, referring to a T-shirt worn once by the controversial footballer after one of his many brushes with authority. (AFP)

READ MORE - Balotelli reference in missing plane drama draws scorn

Vince McMahon, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Vice

Vince McMahon, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Vice - There are always a lot of dumb rumors going around that media outlets are all too eager to spread and that people are all too willing to believe. So as a public service, we here at DT bring you the reality check that will keep you from looking like a gullible Guti. 

WWE chairman Vince McMahon interested in buying Newcastle! (A website no one's ever heard of) — What's not to believe about a report on a random website citing an anonymous source? For starters, it makes no mention of this rumor being around since 2011 and the fact that the Guardian debunked it last month. 

Cristiano Ronaldo with Detective Sonny Crockett. (Getty)

David Beckham might name his MLS team "Miami Vice"! Like the TV show! And the less popular Colin Farrell movie! (Palm Beach Post) — This is one even I want to believe because it would be wonderful, but NBC Universal, which owns the rights to the show and film, would probably sue the David Beckham brand underpants off of MLS if they tried this. Plus Beckham's publicist, Simon Oliveira, already denied it and basically said you're stupid if you ever believed it. 

David Beckham wants to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for the Miami Vice in 2017! (The Sun) — I'm sure he also wants to sign Lionel Messi, all of Bayern Munich and 1958 Pele. You know, like every other football club owner on the planet. But the man doesn't even know the name of his club, when they will start playing or where they will do it, so signing Ronaldo or a reanimated George Best in three years is pretty far down the list of priorities. 

Mario Balotelli to Arsenal! With the help of Puma! (Daily Express/Metro) — Rumors of sportswear companies engineering megadeals to bring their sponsored athletes and their sponsored clubs together pop up from time to time. This one was inevitable since Arsenal and Balotelli both signed with Puma very recently, but if these things happened, Nike's biggest footballer (Cristiano Ronaldo) wouldn't be playing for Adidas' Real Madrid and Adidas' biggest footballer (Lionel Messi) wouldn't be playing for Nike's Barcelona. 

So that's the Puma angle out. But what about Mario to Arsenal anyway? Well, he can't stop saying how happy he is to play for Milan "especially in difficult moments" and he also says the only thing he misses about England is Man City fans. He's probably not going to Arsenal (or any other English club) then. 

David Moyes resigns himself to just winning the Champions League this season! (Dirty Tackle) — False. Moyes actually still believes Man United can win the FA Cup even though they were knocked out way back in the third round. Being optimistic helps limit the Sir Alex Ferguson night terrors to just the hours he's asleep. ( yahoo.com )

READ MORE - Vince McMahon, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Vice

Soccer-Balotelli blast has Italy dreaming in Malta

Soccer-Balotelli blast has Italy dreaming in Malta - Italy head into Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Malta buoyed by a stirring comeback in a 2-2 draw with Brazil and the growing belief that Mario Balotelli is finally maturing into a world class international striker.

The 22-year-old, who has courted controversy on and off the field, netted a majestic strike in Thursday's friendly in Geneva when his all-round play helped Italy battle back from 2-0 down.

He showed flashes of his brilliance at Euro 2012 with a brace in the semi-final win over Germany, but otherwise flattered to deceive and was nowhere when Spain steamrollered Cesare Prandelli's men in the final.
 

Such erratic performances had been common for the Azzurri during unpredictable spells at Inter Milan and Manchester City but now he looks settled and is first choice at boyhood heroes AC Milan. Prandelli hopes such stability will pay dividends.

"He has the potential to be among the best five (players) in the world but to do that he needs a lot of continuity, as he is having at the moment," Prandelli told reporters.

Italy top World Cup qualifying Group B with 10 points from four matches, a point above Bulgaria who battered Malta 6-0 at home on Friday to leave the island nation bottom on no points.

Malta's woes means Italy should have no trouble sealing victory, especially given the bond developing between Balotelli and Italy and Milan team mate Stephan El Shaarawy.

"I'm happy he's growing up, as a player and as a man. We are together practically all the time, I see him a lot more mature," said the 20-year-old with Egyptian heritage and a mohican.

TACTICAL DISCIPLINE
El Shaarawy is likely to operate on the left of main striker Balotelli, just like he does for Milan.

Prandelli's continued snub of Antonio Cassano despite the mercurial forward being a linchpin at Euro 2012 means the third component of his preferred three-man attack is a mystery with Emanuele Giaccherini starting in the hole against Brazil.

Alessio Cerci then came on for his debut and impressed on the right hand side of the attack and may now start.

Whoever plays, Prandelli is being ultra-cautious.

"We'll meet a more united, compact and organised team than Brazil even if they are not as technically strong. They have trained for months together like a club side," he said.

Malta hope the prospect of facing the Azzurri in front of a sell-out crowd at the National Stadium will spur the players on.

"This will be a very difficult game for us but if we are fully focused and keep our tactical discipline, I believe we can gain a creditable result," captain Michael Mifsud, 31, said.

Forward Mifsud, the most capped player in the squad with 96 appearances, should retain his place but coach Pietro Ghedin, who held various posts with the Italian Football Federation before returning as Malta coach last year, could make changes.

Midfielders Gareth Sciberras, who missed the Bulgaria game with a minor groin injury, and Andrew Cohen are set to come in.

Malta gave a good account of themselves when they lost only 2-0 to Italy in Modena last September.

Probable teams:
Malta: Andrew Hogg; Andrei Agius, Luke Dimech, Jonathan Caruana, Clayton Failla; Gareth Sciberras, Roderick Briffa, Edward Herrera, Andrew Cohen, Andre Schembri; Michael Mifsud
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon; Christian Maggio, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Mattia De Sciglio; Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Riccardo Montolivo; Alessio Cerci, Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Sharaawy
Reuters

READ MORE - Soccer-Balotelli blast has Italy dreaming in Malta

Soccer-Balotelli says game not doing enough to combat racism

Soccer-Balotelli says game not doing enough to combat racism - Italy striker Mario Balotelli, a high profile victim of racist abuse from the stands, says world soccer is not doing enough to combat the problem.

The 22-year-old was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents and has long had to deal with insults from fans of Juventus, who were forced to play a game behind closed doors in 2009 after supporters sang "a black Italian does not exist".

Juve fans still chant "jump up and down and Balotelli will die" but the song is deemed not to be racist by Italy's Serie A, who did fine his former club Inter Milan after monkey chants were heard in the derby with his new club AC Milan last month.
 

"It annoys me, it makes me angry and I don't like it. However, we're are making too little progress on this issue," Balotelli told a news conference on Sunday ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Malta.

A 30,000 euro ($39,000) sanction was also dished out by Serie A to Genoa after fans sang racist chants against Milan this month and Croatia were hit with an 80,000 euro fine by UEFA at Euro 2012 for racist abuse towards Balotelli.

Anti-racism campaigners slammed UEFA as the Croatia fine was 20,000 euros less than the punishment handed out to Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner for revealing the logo of a betting company on his underpants while celebrating a goal at the Euros.

UEFA and FIFA have since started cracking down harder on racist incidents after gauging the public mood.

Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng drew widespread praise after storming off the pitch and forcing a match to be abandoned in January when he was racially abused from the stands in a friendly at Italian lower-division side Pro Patria.

Ghana's Boateng has since joined FIFA's anti-discrimination task force and even spoke at the United Nations on the issue.

"I agree with him, to stop racism we all need to contribute, together," Balotelli said. ($1 = 0.7694 euros)

Reuters

READ MORE - Soccer-Balotelli says game not doing enough to combat racism

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri - AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has compared Mario Balotelli to his side's former talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Balotelli joined the Rossoneri in January, and he has since scored seven goals in his first six games for the club, leading Allegri to compare the 22-year-old with the Paris Saint-Germain star.

“He’s similar to Ibrahimovic both physically and technically, but he can get better because he’s playing with continuity here," Allegri said at a press conference. "Balotelli still has to improve a lot as a center forwardgiven his potential, but he has all the right ingredients to do it." 

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri

After a disappointing start to the campaign, which included the sale of star players such as Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain, Milan now finds itself third in Serie A, two points adrift of Napoli in second.

Allegri admits he is thrilled by the progress shown by his side, but has warned it cannot afford to rest on its laurels just yet.

“The squad is young and I’m happy with the work that the club has done," Allegri said. “If we get into the Champions League, without having to pre-qualify, it’ll have been a good year. One thing is for sure, if we’re to get where we want to be, we’ll need a lot of points.”

On the topic of his own future, Allegri added that he plans remain with Milan beyond the 2013-14 campaign.

“I’m very happy to be at Milan and hope to stay at this club for the long term. For that to happen we need results so let’s hope the team can give us some satisfaction," Allegri said.

Goal.com

READ MORE - Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri

Balotelli caught smoking on train to Fiorentina match

Balotelli caught smoking on train to Fiorentina match - AC Milan is set to fine Mario Balotelli after the striker was caught smoking in a train toilet on Saturday en route to Florence for the club's clash with Fiorentina on Sunday morning.

The striker has been hitting the headlines for all the right reasons since moving from Manchester City at the end of January and has scored seven goals in as many Serie A games; however, several reports in Italy said the club was ready to crack down on the 22-year-old after a conductor caught him red-handed smoking on the train this weekend, which is prohibited by Italian law.

Balotelli caught smoking on train to Fiorentina match

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani was also on the train and had initially been having fun during the journey, trying on a hat belonging to one of the guards and joking with members of the squad. That was until he was told of Balotelli's indiscretion by the train's most senior guard, who, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, said, "Maybe you have to pull Balotelli's ears, because he was smoking in the toilet."

As a result, Galliani informed the teenage winger M'Baye Niang, who was in the group of players he was with, to tell to his teammate that he would be fined. He then rang the player's agent Mino Raiola to report his client.

The Rossoneri squad was taking the Frecciarossa service ahead of its clash with the fourth-placed Viola with the chance to extend the gap between the top three to nine points with a win or see it crumble to three points with a loss.

Despite the incident, Balotelli was selected to lead the line from the start for Massimiliano Allegri's men.

Balotelli was regularly snapped by photographers with a cigarette in hand during his two-and-a-half year spell with Roberto Mancini's men - a pastime that is frowned upon by many coaches for obvious health reasons.

Balotelli was in the headlines more often for his mischief and disobedience than his goalscoring during his time in England, which played a part in the Premier League champions selling the striker on deadline day in January.
 

Goal.com

READ MORE - Balotelli caught smoking on train to Fiorentina match

Ternyata Mario Balotelli Masuk Dalam Daftar 100 Orang Berpengaruh di Dunia

Ternyata Mario Balotelli Masuk Dalam Daftar 100 Orang Berpengaruh di Dunia - Penyerang AC Milan, Mario Balotelli, dikabarkan masuk ke dalam daftar 100 orang paling berpengaruh di dunia tahun 2012 versi majalah Time. Balotelli sendiri pernah menjadi model dalam sampul majalah Time edisi Eropa pada November 2012 lalu.

Seperti diberitakan Gazzetta dello Sport pada Kamis, 4 April 2013, Balotelli bersama wakil presiden Milan Adriano Galliani dan agennya, Mino Raiolla, akan terbang ke New York pada 23 April mendatang. Mereka rencananya menghadiri acara yang diselenggarakan oleh majalah Time.

Striker Italia Mario Balotelli merayakan gol keduanya ke gawang Jerman dengan melepas kaos pada pertandingan Semi Final Euro 2012 di Stadion nasional Warsawa, Polandia (29/6). REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Hanya segelintir orang yang bisa masuk ke dalam daftar tersebut. Balotelli mengikuti jejak Lionel Messi yang pernah terpilih sebagai tokoh paling berpengaruh pada tahun lalu.

Balotelli dikenal sebagai pemain kontroversial. Perilakunya di dalam maupun di luar lapangan kerap menimbulkan masalah. Salah satunya adalah insiden pertengkaran Balotelli dengan mantan pelatihnya di Manchester City, Roberto Mancini, pada awal Januari lalu.

Terlepas dari sikap kontroversialnya, Balotelli juga dianggap sebagai pemain muda berbakat. Pemain 22 tahun itu dinilai bakal menjadi pemain penting tim nasional Italia pada Piala Dunia 2014 mendatang.

Balotelli mampu tampil gemilang sejak pindah ke Milan pada bursa transfer Januari. Mantan pemain Inter Milan itu membukukan tujuh gol dalam tujuh laga bersama Rossoneri. 

tempo.co kamis, 04 april 2013 | 17:10 wib

READ MORE - Ternyata Mario Balotelli Masuk Dalam Daftar 100 Orang Berpengaruh di Dunia

Balotelli is the cherry on top

Abate: Balotelli is the cherry on top - Ignazio Abate has hailed teammate Mario Balotelli as the "cherry on top" of the AC Milan squad.

The former Inter starlet has been in scintillating form since returning to Italy in January, netting seven times in as many games, a run of form which has propelled the Italian giant to third in Serie A and made the club a favorite to achieve Champions League qualification.

Abate, speaking to the club's official website, says the Rossoneri are benefiting from boasting a spine through the team which understands the core values of Milan and that is fronted by the prolific new striker.

Abate: Balotelli is the cherry on top

"The president gave us Balotelli in January. He's the cherry on top our cake, he makes the team dangerous," he said.

"Now the spine of [a lasting] team is being built and it’s an Italian one that understands what it means to wear these colors."

The 26-year-old then turned his attention to Fiorentina ahead of next week's trip to Florence.

Milan is currently in pole position to secure the third and final Champions League spot ahead of the Viola, who trail Massimiliano Allegri's men by six points.

Abate says the team is well prepared for the clash due to the significance of the fixture.

"This is a team that plays with a knife between its teeth and we can make life difficult for any team," he added. "[The match against Fiorentina is a] big game for Champions League qualification, but right now we're in good shape both physically and mentally."

By Shane Callaghan | Goal.com – Sun, Mar 31, 2013 3:54 PM EDT

READ MORE - Balotelli is the cherry on top

Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy and Mbaye Niang sleep in the luggage racks of a train car

Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy and Mbaye Niang sleep in the luggage racks of a train car - Since Mario Balotelli joined Milan in January, he has combined with Stephan El Shaarawy and Mbaye Niang to form a youthful trident that has helped the Rossoneri to third in the Serie A table. The trio have formed a quick understanding between them that apparently extends to their shared inclination to sleep on the luggage racks in train cars.

El Shaarawy tweeted a picture of him and his two friends dangling above the empty train seats on the way home from their 1-0 win at Chievo Verona on Saturday. The image was accompanied by the message: "Oh well we sleep. Happy Easter to all!!"

Anyone who has ever been exhaustedly squirmed through a restless and neck crippling attempt at sleep on a train, plane or bus will understand how they could decide this was a good idea.

By Brooks Peck | Dirty Tackle – Mon, Apr 1, 2013 1:14 AM EDT

READ MORE - Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy and Mbaye Niang sleep in the luggage racks of a train car