Roberto Mancini, the manager of Manchester City says that bad boy striker Mario Balotelli will never play for the team again, with Carlos Tevez, who has recently returned from never playing for the team again replacing him.
Balotelli's irresponsible behaviour in the 1 - 0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday was the last straw in a catalogue of bad behaviour which many believe has scuppered City's challenge for the Premiership title and infuriated the Eastlands boss, who said 'Mario has let me down again. He has left me with no choice but to never play him again. I'm not sure how long that will be at this stage, but it will definitely be never again.'
Carlos Tevez, who Mancini said would never play for the team again after his refusal to come on as a substitute in a Champions League match in Munich last September has spoken of his relief that his period of never playing for the team again is now over.
'Not playing for the club ever again has felt like almost forever' he said. 'But now that period of definitely never playing for the team again under Mancini is over I can get back to playing for the team again under Mancini.'
Balotelli has expressed his disappointment at never playing again by setting fire to a skip hired by his next door neighbours. 'I'm sad that I will never play for Manchester City again' he said, then added; 'Hopefully when I've finished never playing for City I can start playing for them again' before getting into his car and driving off in the direction of a nearby fireworks factory.