• Premier League

Toure denies Balotelli bust-up claims

ESPN staff
April 5, 2012
Balotelli displayed the good and bad sides of his on-field personality against Sunderland © PA Photos
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Manchester City's Yaya Toure has dismissed claims that he had a dressing-room fight with Mario Balotelli, describing the striker as a "brother" who suffers at the hands of the press.

Balotelli scored twice as City drew 3-3 with Sunderland on March 31 but again threatened to overshadow his performance with his reaction to a penalty claim in the first half and an argument with Aleksandar Kolarov over a second-half free kick.

Reports of a heated exchange between the team-mates at half time emerged after the match, but Toure has denied any such incident occurred.

"They said I fought with Mario at Swansea and against Sunderland," Toure told the Daily Mail. "That shocked me. My lawyers called me about this and it was the first I knew about it.

"It's just not true. It didn't happen. I am a footballer, not a boxer. People don't know my relationship with Mario. He's not my friend, he's my brother and I love him. To say we had a fight is very sad. It upset me and I feel sorry for Mario. He suffers most from these things.

"At half-time against Sunderland it was very difficult. We are trying to win the league and are losing 2-1. It's not good. But everybody was quiet. We were just looking at each other, trying to find a way to turn the result.

"But I didn't even talk to Mario. The next day he sent me a text message saying, 'Apparently we had a fight'. I just want to stop people writing and thinking that."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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