Mario's new look is a Real winner: City striker could be back to face old boss Mourinho

Mario Balotelli has set his sights on a clash against Real Madrid, managed by his old boss Jose Mourinho, after successful eye surgery.
It was feared the Manchester City striker would be out for a month after laser treatment to correct his vision.

Quick return: Mario Balotelli could be back to face Stoke, according to his surgeon

 

However, surgeon Emanuele Scuri said Balotelli could be back in action within 10 days, meaning he could play against Stoke a week on Saturday.
So the 22-year-old Italian will almost certainly be available for City’s Champions League opener against Real in the Bernabeu three days later.
Mourinho fell out with Balotelli during his time in charge at Inter Milan, once describing the youngster as ‘unmanageable’.
Dr Scuri said: ‘I think in around 10 days he should be ready to play again. Already this morning he asked if he could drive and I suggested he should get a lift until Thursday.’

Peacock equals Paralympic record to ease through to final showdown with Pistorius

On Wednesday night it was not about the blades; it was about sprinting — quick, competitive sprinting. And it was a Briton, Jonnie Peacock, who was the quickest of them all.
The men’s T44 100 metres final on Thursday night promises to be one of the sporting spectacles of the summer, let alone of this Paralympic Games.
The big six players in this fascinating soap opera will all be there at 9.24pm in the Olympic Stadium: Peacock, Oscar Pistorius, Jerome Singleton, Alan Oliveira, Blake Leeper and Arnu Fourie. Some of the names may sound unfamiliar but stick with it. In terms of fierce rivalry and pushing the limits of their sport these athletes could just as well be Bolt, Blake, Powell, Gatlin and Gay.

Streets ahead: Britain's Jonnie Peacock powers home to win his 100m T44 heat

The three magnificent heats of the men’s T44 100m were just what Paralympic athletics needed. We have been dazzled by the stunning exploits of Great Britain’s David Weir, who has already won two gold medals over 1500m and 5,000m, but a wide, genuinely world-class field bidding to become the  fastest amputee in the world? Now that really is something to make your mouth water.
Pistorius’ ill-timed complaints about the length of his opponents’ prosthetic legs had taken the focus away from the sport and put the spotlight back on technology. By 7.30pm on Wednesday, however, amputee sprinting was back to being about sport.
At the middle of it all was a 19-year-old from Cambridge. Peacock is the world record holder, but this was his Paralympic Games debut. While the  others had already run two races on this hard, quick track in front of capacity crowds, Peacock entered the cauldron of noise for the first time.
Would he be a specialist, someone interested only in 100m gold? Or would he be a novice, an athlete unfamiliar with the unique pressures and attention of a Paralympic Games — never mind one on home soil.
The answer was convincing. Peacock ran 11.08sec, the fastest time by a tenth of a second and a Paralympic record. He’s a specialist, all right. He said: ‘I expected a few of the guys to push me more. I didn’t think I’d win by so much.

‘The end of the race wasn’t as controlled as I’d like it to be — I need to keep my core stronger — and my start could have been better. But that race into that kind of wind could have been worth 10.90 or 10.95, which would have been my fastest ever first round, and I’ll come back stronger tomorrow.’
Peacock was in the first and toughest heat, facing Singleton, the silver medallist in Beijing, and Oliveira, the first person to beat Pistorius in a Paralympic 200m race. The Briton got a competent start in lane seven but was ahead by the time he finished the driving phase of his race, finishing comfortably clear of Singleton in second. Oliveira was third.
‘I know that Jonnie was ready,’ said Singleton, the world champion and a former NASA scholar who has a degree in mathematics and applied physics. ‘He’s in front of his home crowd so he wants to put on a show.’
He certainly did that, justifying the Team Jonnie T-shirts in the crowd. Peacock’s right leg was amputated below the knee when he was five after he contracted meningitis. His style is choppier, more staccato, than the languid Singleton, who is also a single amputee. But the way Peacock’s arms pump, perfectly synchronised, reflect a technique far beyond the three years he has been sprinting.
In that sense, Peacock is more like Pistorius, a double amputee but an athlete who has worked hard to maximise every possible advantage from his technique.

Charge: South Africa's Oscar Pistorius also made it through to Thursday's final

There was one significant difference between the king and the challenger, however: every vein in the South African’s neck bulged as he sprinted through the line. Pistorius, the veteran of three Paralympic Games, was nervous. 
This was a big night for the Blade Runner. Pistorius had said sorry but now it was time to stop talking about the blades and get back on them. He got a warm reception from the crowd when he was introduced, but must have wondered if there would be a few pantomime boos. The South African suffered a double whammy in that 200m final on Sunday night, after all. He lost not only his title but a little of the Everyman aura that has made him the Games’ poster boy.
Pistorius ran 11.18sec on Wednesday night to win his heat and qualify second fastest behind Peacock. It was not emphatic, but it was convincing; more than just getting back on the blades. Leeper was second in 11.46sec, coming through, once again, frighteningly quickly in the last 40m. Fourie won the final heat in 11.29sec, with American Richard Browne four hundredths of a second behind him.
The scene is set for a thrilling 100m final which promises not to be about artificial legs but pure speed.

Make your mind up! Falcao's father says striker is keen on move to Real Madrid after stating desire to play in PL

The father of Radamel Falcao has claimed that the Atletico Madrid striker dreamed of playing for fierce rivals Real as a boy.

This revelation comes in the wake of the free-scoring striker stating he believed he would be a Premier League footballer come January.

Happy in white? Falcao's father has said his son would like to join Real Madrid

 

The Colombian has made an instant impression at the Vicente Calderon since joining from Porto last season, scoring 39 goals in all competitions as the Rojiblancos lifted the Europa League trophy in Bucharest.

The 26-year-old then hit a hat-trick in a dominant 4-1 victory over European champions Chelsea last week as Atletico lifted the Super Cup for a second time in two years.
But the striker's father has made an astonishing declaration that his son's ambition was always to play in the white shirt of Real Madrid - Atletico's cross-city rivals.
Quoted in Marca, Radamel Garcia told Colombian radio programme 'En Gran debate de Todelar': 'His dream is to play for Real Madrid.
'Since he was a boy he's always wanted to play there. Other teams in Europe like Chelsea and Manchester City were interested in him.
'If he can't play for Real Madrid, he'll play for a team in England.'
'Of course he wants to go to the 2014 World Cup, but most of all, he wants to go to Real Madrid.'

Goal machine: Falcao tore Chelsea apart when Atletico Madrid beat them 4-1 in the UEFA Super Cup

Perhaps embarrassed by his father's unexpected confession, Falcao took to his official Twitter account to express his commitment to his current club.
He tweeted: 'Just so the whole world is clear: my dream is to win titles with Atletico Madrid and to qualify for the World Cup with Colombia.'

Running scared! United want to put brake on City's kamikaze spending

Manchester United are behind plans for tighter financial controls on Barclays Premier League clubs that would limit the spending power of rivals such as Manchester City.
United’s proposals received widespread support when they were put forward in June, and a range of measures will be up  for discussion at a meeting on Thursday.
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan supports the idea, even though he suspects it might be partly motivated by the increased threat posed by City.

Big spenders: Manchester City spent £24m on Javi Garcia on deadline day

‘This proposal has come from Manchester United — I think City haven shaken them up a little bit — but I think there should be some controls on spending,’ said Whelan.
‘Some clubs are spending way more than they can afford and getting into trouble — just look at Portsmouth.
‘Something has to be done so we will support these measures.'
The proposals, similar to UEFA’s financial fair play rules, could lead to clubs being forced to break even every year or face sanctions.
While that might suit the likes of United and Arsenal, it would be bad news for City, whose losses of £197million in 2010-11 were the biggest in football history. United’s other big rivals, Chelsea and Liverpool, posted losses of £68m and £49m respectively.

In support: Dave Whelan (left) favours the moves to curb spending

However, United chief executive David Gill believes many clubs are in favour of the new measures.
Speaking last week, Gill said: ‘A lot of clubs would be happy just to introduce the financial fair play regulations into the Premier League now, some wouldn’t.
‘We’ve got financial regulations in the Championship and the Champions League, so we need to do it.’

Sarah Storey completes a Paralympic gold hat trick as she storms to cycling time-trial title

• The 34-year-old now has a total of ten Paralympic golds to her name
• Medal haul could match Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson's 11 Paralympic golds if she wins Thursday's road race
• Storey completed the 16 kilometre race in 22 minutes and 40 seconds
• Her speed would have seen her gain 8th place in the men's time trial

Cycling champion Sarah Storey has secured a hat trick of gold medals today after riding to victory in the women's C5 time-trial at Brands Hatch.
The 34-year-old from Manchester has already won two Paralympic titles in the velodrome before adding another gold from the 16-kilometre race against the clock today.
Storey finished the course, which included all the fabled sections of the motor-racing circuit, in 22 minutes 40 seconds.

Golden couple: Sarah Storey in the arms of her husband Barney,whom she credits for her transformation from swimmer to cyclist

Sealed with a kiss: Storey kisses her husband Barney after storming to victory at Brands Hatch

Moment of glory: Sarah Storey has now won three gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympics

She said: 'I'm absolutely delighted. It's just amazing to get around the circuit so quick. 'The first thing I'm going to do is see where I would have placed in the men's race.'

She would have been eighth at that split. Crystal Lane was ninth in 27:33.
This latest win takes her total tally of Paralympic golds to 10 - and she may even be in with a chance of boosting her medal haul later this week.
Storey will ride in the road race on Thursday seeking to level Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson's 11 Paralympic golds.

Crowd cheer: Sarah's win made the crown go wild at Brands Hatch, Kent today

Life is golden: Sarah holds up her medal and shows off her Union Flag nailpolish

Sarah Storey looks slightly in awe as she revels in the moment holding her golden medal

Speaking about the possibility of her matching Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson's medal haul after her velodrome wins, she said: 'It is fantastic, a great feeling. I didn't expect to be able to catch her as quickly.
'I suppose it did look easy but mentally you have to prepare and make it happen. I have to respect all my competitors.'
She said of her latest success: ‘To compete in a home Games like this with all the crowds is a dream come true and I feel honoured to have been here.’

Flying the flag: Sarah and husband Barney hold the Union Flag high after her win today

Going for gold: Storey will seek to level Tanni Grey-Thompson's medal haul

Twenty years ago, as a shy and nervous teenager, Sarah Bailey as she was then known, took part in her first Paralympics in Barcelona as a swimmer. She returned home two weeks later with six medals, including two golds.
She won a total of five gold, eight silver and three bronze Paralympic medals at swimming.
She only turned to cycling in 2005 after an ear infection ended her swimming career.
After changing sports, Sarah met Barney Storey through cycling in 2004 and the couple married three years later.
She credits her husband with playing a major role in her transformation from swimmer to cyclist.

Riding to victory: Sarah Story racing round the track at Brands Hatch motor racing circuit near London

On route: Storey completed the route in 22 minutes and 40 seconds - which would have seen her gain eight place in the men's race

Done it: Sarah Storey celebrates winning the women's time trial at Brand's hatch

She said: ‘His expertise in cycling is just phenomenal.
‘Before he was a tandem pilot he was an able-bodied solo cycling sprinter, riding World Cup events, spring grand prix in Europe.
‘Barney’s got an immense knowledge and background in cycling. And when I came along, this big-shouldered raw swimmer, he just taught me everything I know.’

Medal number 20: Storey has now won 21 Paralympic medals across six Games and in two different sports

Golden couple: Sarah and Barney Storey share a kiss and show off the medals they have won at the velodrome

What's the Storey! Sarah Storey celebrates victory in the women's individual time trial

Following two golds in 2008, including in the time-trial, Storey now has a hat-trick on home soil in her sixth Games.
Meanwhile, Great Britain's Mark Colbourne had to settle for silver in the men's C1 time-trial.
Colbourne, who won individual pursuit gold in the velodrome, clocked 25mins 29secs on the 16km course, but Michael Teuber of Germany pipped him to victory, finishing first in 25:16.
It was the 42-year-old Welshman's third medal of his first Games after breaking his back in a paragliding accident three years ago.
'I gave it everything, I'm happy with my silver,' Colbourne said. 'I'm very proud of what I've done today.'

Poster girl cyclist Sarah Storey won gold in the C5 individual pursuit

Storey clocked three minutes 32.170 seconds to advance to the gold medal ride-off in front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Screaming blue murder! Paralympic athletes prove wheelchair rugby is not for the faint-hearted as 'murderball' tournament begins

• Home nation outscored world number one in first quarter of pool match
• But couldn't cope with U.S. side's passing and movement to lose 56-44
• Young team are hoping to land Great Britain's first Paralympics medal

Letting out a mighty roar after scoring a goal, this was Britain’s blue-haired wheelchair rugby player David Anthony in action last night.
A capacity crowd of 10,000 cheered on Anthony and the rest of the team as they took on reigning champions United States in the fast and furious sport once known as ‘murderball’.
The crowd ensured an electric atmosphere for the eagerly awaited tournament launch of a sport that can feature ferocious clashes between players.

War cry: Britain's David Anthony (left) celebrates after scoring past Chuck Aoki (right) of the United States

No holds barred: Will Groulx of the USA is up-ended during the wheelchair rugby match against Great Britain at the Basketball Arena

Violent collisions saw players go flying, prompting the commentator to shout: ‘What a hit!’ Regular stops in play allowed a team of helpers to sprint from the touchline and right upended chairs, caused by tough tackles.
The huge hits, met with gasps and groans from the crowd, could be heard high up in the packed stadium, and left stricken players prone on the floor.
There were also regular pauses for chairs to undergo a mid-court ‘pit stop’ as damaged wheels were replaced.
The GB team put on a brave display but eventually lost 56-44 in their pool match.

Fast and furious: Aaron Phipps of Great Britain with the ball during Paralympics GB's opening pool match

It's called 'murderball' for a reason: GB's Myles Pearson ends up flat on his back in a typically aggressive encounter against the world number one side

Captain Steve Brown’s team are widely viewed as strong medal contenders, and they led 13-11 after a fierce opening quarter at the Basketball Arena.
Despite a 16-goal display from star performer Aaron Phipps and an 11-goal contribution by Anthony, however, they could not hold off the challenge of the Paralympic champions.
France are next up tonight, followed by Japan tomorrow, with successive victories certain to secure semi-final status.
Brown said: ‘The States are number one in the world, so it was never going to be easy.
'We had the bounce of the ball sometimes, and other times it went against us. That crowd was something else.
'You have to draw from the crowd and find that extra percentage with your performance.’

Crash, bang, wallop: Will Groulx goes flying after being knocked over by Britain's Aaron Phipps (left). Heavy contacts are actively encouraged in the sport

Eyes on the ball: Britain's David Anthony (left) and Ross Morrison (right) close in on Nick Springer of the U.S.

Doing it for the girls: Britain's only female player, Kylie Grimes, proves murderball is not just a man's world as she tackles a U.S. opponent

Not for the faint-hearted: USA's Will Groulx is picked up after falling during the Group A match at the Basketball Arena in London

   

Kylie Grimes, 24, the only female player in Britain’s ranks – and one of only two in the tournament – added: ‘We came out really strong.’
Tickets for the London 2012 Games sold out, with the ParalympicsGB chef de mission Craig Hunter describing it as a 'tough, fast game played with no fear and plenty of clashes'.
So many clashes, in fact, that there is a team of welders on standby at the sidelines, ready to repair players' wheelchairs.
The 11-strong ParalympicsGB squad is a young team, with only three players having taken part in both Beijing and Athens and are hoping for their first Paralympics medal.
Before today's game, Captain Steve Brown said the team strongly wants to win a medal, in the strategic game he describes as being similar to chess.
But he stressed: 'There is no added pressure. I am not thinking about the history.'
He added that it was a 'buzz' to play in front of sell-out crowds.
After today's opener, Britain play France tomorrow evening, then Japan on Friday.
Both semi-finals are on Saturday, with the final one of the Games' last events next Sunday afternoon.
The game was invented in the 1970s by athletes with quadriplegia wanting an alternative sport to wheelchair basketball, but it was not until 1989 that the first international tournament was held.
Great Britain was among the three teams taking part in Toronto, Canada.

Can barely watch: The Earl and an aghast Countess of Wessex get into the action at the match

Agony to ecstasy: The countess celebrates as Paralympics GB score in what was a close but ultimately disappointing result for the home side

Tipping point: GB's Steve Brown desperately tries to stay upright in the heat of battle

Just out of reach: The British team gave it their all but came up short against the US

Crunching: Great Britain's Jonathan Coggan and Steve Brown crash into US opponent Will Groulx

KYLIE SHOWS MURDERBALL IS NOT JUST A MAN'S WORLD

As if being the only female member of the British wheelchair rugby team was not enough to make Kylie Grimes, above, stand out, she has also had a Union Jack shaved into the side of her bright red hair.
The 24-year-old put in an impressive performance when the ParalympicsGB team faced the USA, ranked number one in the world, in the opening match of the competition this afternoon.
She is only the second woman to play with the British team at Paralympic level.
Grimes, who lives in Farnham, Surrey, took up the sport two years ago after an accident which left her paralysed from the chest down.
She lost a £6million damages claim at the High Court last year over the injury, which happened when she hit her head on the bottom of a swimming pool as a teenager in 2006.
Grimes knew that she 'wanted to continue playing sport and as soon as she saw her first game of wheelchair rugby, she says she knew it was the sport for her', according to the British Paralympic Association.

It first appeared at a Paralympic Games in 1996 as a demonstration sport, making the Sydney
Games the first time it was given full medal status.
Wheelchair rugby is played indoors on a basketball court, with mixed teams of four players who use a white ball, similar to a volleyball.
To score a goal, an athlete has to pass the opposing team's goal line while in firm control of the ball, with two wheels of their chair crossing the line.
The ball has to be passed or dribbled every 10 seconds and is passed to the other side if that does not happen.
There are four eight-minute quarters to each game.
While there is contact between the chairs, penalties are incurred if physical contact is made with an opponent or if an opponent's chair is hit behind the rear wheel.
Athletes are classified with a points system, on a scale from 0.5 to 3.5.
Their team of four athletes on court at any one time cannot exceed a total of 8.0 points in total unless there is a woman in the team, in which case they are allowed an extra 0.5 points.
Those with the highest level of impairment are classified as 0.5 players and along with the 1.0 players, can not easily pick up or pass the ball, making them more suited to being blockers.
Those with a rating of 3.0 or 3.5 have a high degree of strength and stability as well as higher functionality in their upper limbs.
Currently, the sport is dominated by the US and Canadian teams.

Melee: ParalympicsGB player is hurled out of his chair after a shuddering collision

Damaged: Contact between chairs is not only allowed, it is positively encouraged

Bidding for the podium: The 11-strong ParalympicsGB squad is a young team, with only three players having taken part in both Beijing and Athens, and are hoping for their first Paralympics medal

High-flier: Britain's Ross Morrison throws the ball over Seth McBride

SPIKES, SPARKS AND BROKEN BONES: MURDERBALL INVENTED AS OUTLET FOR DEVIL-MAY-CARE QUADRIPLEGICS

Murderball was given its name by the devil-may-care quadriplegics who invented the game during the late Seventies.
It was also the title of a 2005 documentary starring U.S. player Mark Zurpan, about teams competing at the previous year’s Paralympics in Athens.
The sport - otherwise known as wheelchair rugby - was invented by a group of Canadians who met in rehab and whose disabilities were so severe that they couldn’t participate in wheelchair basketball.

Brutal: Murderball was popularised in a 2005 documentary starring U.S. player Mark Zurpan (right) about the sport during the Athens Games a year earlier

Searching for an outlet for their machismo, they found slamming into one another like wheel-propelled warriors exhilaratingly therapeutic.
Sparks visibly fly as aluminium wheels are deliberately jammed by nasty devices (called ‘spikes’) attached to the front of some chairs.
Attackers attempt to force the ball over the goal-line with the aid of battering rams, with the barging is so ferocious that players are frequently thrown from their seats, sometimes breaking fingers and arms.
The sport soon became popular across the border in the U.S., and in the Eighties reached Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Britain.
It has rapidly evolved, at the elite level, into a strategic game likened to fast-moving human chess.
Though the British HQ is at Twickenham and the aim is to get the ball — round not oval — across a goal-line, it bears little resemblance to rugby.

Del Piero moves to Sydney FC

It can now be confirmed now that foremost Juventus player Alessandro Del Piero will be moving to Australia to play his trade for Sydney FC in a transfer deal worth $4 million after so much speculation, confirmations, retractions and negotiations as he has also become the most expensive football player from anywhere in the world to play in Australia particularly the A-League.
The $2 million a season contract was concluded last night in an event that had been as eagerly awaited in Italy as it has been in Australia, as the Juventus frontman appeared at a press conference beside Tony Pignata the chief executive of  Sydney in Turin at the Principi Hotel.
Sydney’s interest in Del Piero was revealed exclusively a week ago, and the club went public that a deal had been agreed last Friday, only for all parties to cool on that talk at the weekend, insisting there was more work to be done before the contract was signed.
After the deal was concluded last night around 8pm Australian time, Del Piero in confirming the deal at the press conference said ‘For the next two years, I am Australian, so to speak’.
The 37-year-old declared he will be spreading the word of football in Australia and that while he would keep his house and business in Italy, he wouldn’t be treating his A-League stint ”like a holiday”.
Club chairman Scott Barlow added it was a landmark day for the club owned by his father-in-law David Traktovenko, who is also the man who put up the massive wages to make the signing a reality.
“This signing is a major coup for Sydney FC, and marks a historic day for football in this country,” he said. “This is for all Australian football fans.
“Alessandro Del Piero is a global icon of the game, and we are honoured he has chosen Sydney FC, ahead of many other options, as the club where he will begin the next chapter of his illustrious football career.”
Del Piero began his professional career with Padova in 1991 but would make only 14 appearances there before making the switch to Juventus as a 19-year-old. It was there with the ”Old Lady” that Del Piero’s star shone brighter than anyone dared dream during an incredible stint spanning two decades.
He boasted a magnificent record of 208 goals in 513 league matches – and then scored a further 25 goals in 56 Italia Cup matches and another 53 goals in 129 European matches, all despite playing the majority of his career as a trequartista – a link player behind the strikers.
Despite his age, and despite being released at the end of last season, Del Piero still played 28 matches and scored five goals for Juventus – a season when they went undefeated in the league.
He is expected to move to Sydney in two weeks’ time, giving him a fortnight’s preparation before the Sky Blues’ first match of the new season, against Wellington Phoenix.

Obiji clinches gold number five for Nigeria

Another powerlifter for Nigeria, Loveline obiji has clinched gold medal number five for Nigeria after outclassing her opponents at the London 2012 Paralympics.
The country now has five gold medals, five silver medals and one bronze.
Obiji put behind all the pressure associated with the controversial loss going Team Nigeria’s winding down of claiming the gold medals temporarily after a remarkable start in the Paralympic games.
Obiji said after she established the lead she was very sure that the gold was hers and she told God it was what she wanted even though she was not under any pressure.
The Imo State-born athlete who is making her Paralympics debut said all that remains for her is to come back home to prepare for the 2016 Paralympics.
Randa Mahmood of Egypt took the silver at 140kg, while China’s Xu Yanmei won bronze with 129kg.
The power-lifting events continue today with the men taking their turn in the hunt for medals. Team Nigeria are however hopeful that the lead for African countries on the medals table will be maintain by Nigeria at the number one position on the power-lifting medals table.