Liverpool bmanager Brendan Rodgers has indicated he sees signing Mario Balotelli as a risk but one worth taking.
With the club having reportedly agreed a £16 million (Dh97.4m) fee with AC Milan for Balotelli, the mercurial Italy striker arrived in England on Friday afternoon ahead of a medical and was subsequently pictured at the Merseyside outfit’s training ground.
It is understood a key aspect of the discussions Liverpool have had with Balotelli and his representatives has been the club seeking assurances about the 24-year-old Italian’s behaviour.
Rodgers, who looks set for a remarkable about-turn after insisting around three weeks ago that he “categorically” would not be signing Balotelli, was unwilling to talk about him specifically on Friday at his press conference to preview Monday’s English Premier League clash with the frontman’s former employers Manchester City.
Asked directly about Balotelli, Rodgers said with a smile: “I can categorically tell you ... that I can’t speak about it until the player is signed.”
But he did speak about the “extensive code of conduct” at Liverpool, before expressing his “complete confidence” that any player he recruits for the club will not be a disruptive influence.
He then added: “We understand that sometimes you have to take a risk with people. A lot of the time, if you take that risk you can get a reward for it.”
Balotelli is a proven performer, but the baggage that comes with him is considerable.
His two-and-a-half-year spell with City to January 2013 was a whirlwind one, with occasional sparkling performances interspersed with volatility on the field and erratic behaviour off it.
Speaking on Friday about the standards of behaviour expected at Liverpool and his determination to protect them, Rodgers suggested Balotelli will be subject not to special rules but the same disciplinary guidelines as everyone else at the club if his transfer goes through.
“We have quite an extensive code of conduct for players and staff – there is no specific one for any one individual,” said Rodgers, who has been looking to bring in a striker following Luis Suarez’s departure.
“We have a fantastic environment here and a great culture, and I think it is something that was very important for us to create and build here.
“There will be nothing that will ever shake that or provoke it in any way. It is something I always protect at the club.
“With every player we assess and look at, of course, character is very important and no player would come here if I felt it couldn’t work.
“If I feel someone cares enough, I will give them everything, and thankfully we have a culture here that creates talents and gives them the opportunity to blossom.”
Balotelli will not be able to feature against his old club in Monday’s contest at the Etihad Stadium as his proposed transfer needed to have been completed by midday on Friday for him to be eligible, but there could be debuts for summer signings Lazar Markovic and Alberto Moreno.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
SHAITTAN
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Paris%20Agreement
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (All UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)
Saturday
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)
SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)
Sunday
Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
