quick news round up
Mario Balotelli: Liverpool striker banned for one game and fined
Mario Balotelli has to attend a course about racism. I'd laugh if it weren't so sad
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has been given a one-match ban by the Football Association as punishment for his Super Mario post on social media.
The Italian, whose suspension rules him out of Sunday's home game against Arsenal, has also been fined £25,000 and must attend an education course.
The 24-year-old was charged under FA rule E3(1) for a post which appeared to contain anti-Semitic and racist references.
Balotelli had accepted the charge but wrote to the FA in mitigation.
After learning of his punishment, he wrote on his official Facebook page that the FA's decision "made clear" that his post had been "wrong".read more
Klopp "I'll Miss Dortmund's fans when I'm gone"
Jurgen Klopp has praised the Borussia Dortmund supporters following Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg and said he will miss them when he is no longer in charge of the club.
Dortmund had to settle for a point at the Westfalenstadion, despite taking the lead twice and having had a number of chances to seal their third consecutive home win in the Bundesliga.
An 85th-minute header from unmarked centre-back Naldo secured a draw for Wolfsburg and left BVB in 16th -- the relegation playoff place -- with only one game left before the winter break.welp
Chatter from the sidelines
- Russian rouble collapse costs Arsenal’s Alisher Usmanov £517m in 48 hours let's have a whip around, mates
- Can Manchester United win the title? hype machine!
- Atlético Madrid stumble past Hospitalet to set up Real derby I'm afraid of posting English Atletico news in this sub, but let me take my chances
- Revealed:(Some) Premier League clubs charge up to £600 for children to be mascots whistles. Not all clubs
- Club vs country rears its head again, Nabil Bentaleb will miss FA cup semi final to represent Algeria in the Africa Cup it be like that sometimes
the lad in question. He's the one jumping in the air - Golden Handcuffs- Eden Hazard set to resign with Chelsea making it rain
- Guardiola Shaqiri not going anywhere until he personally asks for transfer just stay, Shaq. You're assured trophies for doing nowt
- Bale and Neymar hits, Ozil and Cavani misses the votes are in for goal.com readers
- Life After Arsene a good series of articles about the managers that would suit (or not suit) Arsenal's style of football when Wenger is gone. They are really worth a read, if you're in the queue, or looking for something to put in your pocket app
- Xabi Alonso ruled out of Mainz match with injury Basti in? Ledanosomething out with injury too
- A Progress Report on Real Madrid's Summer Signing Toni Kroos summary: doing great, feeling better
- Luis Enrique needs to mount an offence for La Liga read more
Pic Spamette -- not much
Atletico Madrid get through to the next round on aggregate - aka football math
I'm putting this here. I have a feeling that we might be saying goodbye to Klopp soon
Time warp. Simeone and Torres played for Atletico Madrid - at the same time. My mind, it goes boom
I just... is this photoshopped
You and me both, football trolls, you and me both
Last picture of Torres and Simeone. PROMISE, OKAY?
Simeone with the Copa Del Rey as a player
Diego Simeone shows the skills that made him lauded. I have to laugh re: what he said about Neymar, especially when his actions got David Beckham a red card back in the day. LOL. I think the English will like him if he comes to these shores.
Falcao, the ever jobbing footballer, taker of clubs to Champions League action and yet to see playing time in any was a player for Atletico
Someone in this comm said that El Cholo and Pony boy Ramos look as if they could be related. I submit this picture for perusal. What say you?
Huh. This seems to be a Cholo post. I regret nothing. But to make it up, I'll try and get some pictures from training day and post later on, k?
In the spirit of the holidays, Arsenal players go out to bring Christmas cheer
LOL. Kids man
Ozil leading the charge for Christmas cheer and pressies
Ramsey's eyebrows on fleek
Per and co
So CUTE. OMG
Arsenal's captain still alive - not kicking though
OP here: soz about the truncated post. Will come back with more pictures today, correct misspellings, etc if I have time. If not, there's always tomorrow, no? I'm off on a hike