Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is delighted after Mario Balotelli broke his international scoring duck against Poland and says the striker could become the key player in the Azzurri attack. Balotelli and Giampaolo Pazzini replaced injured starting forwards Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano in Friday's game and both scored to earn Italy a 2-0 victory.

Mario Balotelli scored his first international goal with a spectacular long-range strike to help Italy beat European Championship co-host Poland 2-0 in a friendly Friday and ease the Azzurri's attacking woes. Balotelli received the ball about 40 yards (35 meters) from goal and spotted Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny off his line, taking a few steps forward before beating him with a dipping...

Italy will head to Poland for a friendly Friday with attacking problems at the forefront of their minds, with starting forwards Giuseppe Rossi and Antonio Cassano out with long-term injuries. Rossi had knee surgery last week and Cassano is recovering from heart surgery, with both players expected to be out for up to six months.

Mario Balotelli insists he's not crazy, although he does acknowledge that he "can do strange things" from time to time. For example, Balotelli recently had to evacuate his house in England after fireworks were let off in his bathroom. And he has been questioned by Naples prosecutors over a visit with the Camorra crime syndicate, allegedly saying he saw bags of cocaine piled on a...

Italy has announced it will face Euro 2012 co-host Poland and Copa America winner Uruguay in friendlies next month. The Azzurri will visit Poland on Nov. 11 in Wroclaw, then host Uruguay at Rome's Stadio Olimpico four days later. Wroclaw is one of the four cities in Poland that will host matches during next year's European Championship, which Italy has already qualified for by winning Group...

Local authorities have banned all fans from two weekend soccer matches in a clampdown on stadium unrest in Poland. Governors in Wroclaw and Lodz provinces say Friday they are barring fans from attending Slask Wroclaw against KGHM Zaglebie Lubin on Saturday and from Widzew Lodz against Zaglebie Lubin on Sunday, citing police concerns over security.

Local authorities have banned fans from attending two Polish league matches following the stadium violence last week that has jeopardized the country co-hosting the 2012 European Championship. Governors in Wroclaw and Lodz provinces cited police concerns over security in banning supporters Friday from the Slask Wroclaw-KGHM Zaglebie Lubin match on Saturday and the Widzew Lodz-Zaglebie Lubin game...

Polish authorities have ordered three teams -- Slask Wroclaw, Zaglebie Lubin and Widzew Lodz -- to play upcoming games behind closed doors as part of a crackdown on hooliganism in the Euro 2012 co-host nation.

European soccer's governing body chose four cities in Poland to host matches at the 2012 European Championship on Wednesday but said co-host Ukraine could wind up with only two venues unless it makes major infrastructure improvements within six months. Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw and Poznan were picked to host games by the Union of European Football Associations, while Krakow and Chorzow were dropped.