Britain Soccer Europa League
Manchester City's Mario Balotelli, centre, is shown a red card by referee Cuneyt Cakyr, obscured, after a late tackle on Dynamo Kiev's Goran Popov du...
Manchester City's Mario Balotelli, centre, is shown a red card by referee Cuneyt Cakyr, obscured, after a late tackle on Dynamo Kiev's Goran Popov during their Europa League soccer match at The City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England, Thursday March 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain Soccer Europa League
Manchester City's Mario Balotelli, centre, is ushered from the pitch after being shown a red card after a late tackle on Dynamo Kiev's Goran Popov, b...
Manchester City's Mario Balotelli, centre, is ushered from the pitch after being shown a red card after a late tackle on Dynamo Kiev's Goran Popov, bottom left, during their Europa League soccer match at The City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England, Thursday March 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Italy Soccer Serie A
Fiorentina's Riccardo Montolivo, left, is challenged by AS Roma's Daniele De Rossi during a Serie A soccer match at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Fl...
Fiorentina's Riccardo Montolivo, left, is challenged by AS Roma's Daniele De Rossi during a Serie A soccer match at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence, Italy, Sunday, March 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Fabrizio Giovannozzi)
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is sticking with his code of conduct "at all costs," even though it has resulted in the exclusions of Daniele De Rossi and Mario Balotelli for Friday's European Championship qualifier in Slovenia.
When he replaced Marcello Lippi after Italy's first-round elimination from the World Cup, Prandelli instituted new rules whereby national team players are expected to meet high behavioral standards even with their clubs.
De Rossi was banned for three AS Roma games by UEFA for elbowing Shakhtar Donetsk captain Dario Srna in the face during a Champions League match, and Balotelli was sent off during a Europa League match with Manchester City for a studs-first lunge at Dynamo Kiev defender Goran Popov.
