Balotelli was seen arguing with Aleksandar Kolarov over a free kick during the game. Balotelli took the ball from Nigel de Jong and would not give it to Kolarov — the team's designated free-kick taker. Teammates intervened as the Balotelli and Kolarov shoved and pointed angry fingers at one another. A worldwide audience watched as the pressure of City's ailing Premier League title charge seemed to get the best of the two players.
Mancini said any ill will between the players was left behind on the field, and nixed reports of a larger conflict between the two.
"What happened with Kolarov on the pitch, that is a situation that can happen in difficult moments," Mancini told the Telegraph. "It is not good but I can understand this situation can happen."
"After the game it was finished. I am not worried – it is important that after the game everything was okay."We don't have any problems between Mario and Kolarov."
Toure told the Mail that the scene was an embarrassing one. But the pressure-packed situation caused both players to act out of character.
"What you see on the pitch isn't men behaving normally," Toure said. "The next day, during massage, you see Mario and Kolarov discussing it and laughing. But in the game you are so nervous. You are losing face in your own stadium, in front of your own fans. The players are young.
"The stress and frustration builds up and these things happen. But afterwards they talk and it’s OK. This is the part that the TV cameras don’t see."
"I went to Mario and said, 'You have to calm down. We are on the field. All the people are looking at you.'"
Both Toure and Mancini also addressed reports that Balotelli and Toure fought in the dressing room at halftime of the Sunderland game. With City trailing 2-1, the atmosphere in the City camp was certainly tense. But there was no physical altercation between Toure and Balotelli.
Toure gave his account of what happened between the two, and it contradicts many media reports.
"It's just not true," Toure said about the fight. "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."
Mancini was more succinct when asked about the alleged incident. "Yaya Toure — that is totally false," he said.
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