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Brendan Rodgers on Balotelli's shirt swap: 'It's not something I stand for'

Carl Recine / Action Images

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is set to have a stern talk with striker Mario Balotelli after a reporter made him aware of the Italian's shirt swap at half-time during their Champions League loss Wednesday.

Rodgers, according to Chris Waugh of the Daily Mail, was surprised when a Sky Sports reporter asked him about Balotelli's shirt swap with Pepe as Liverpool trailed Real Madrid 3-0 after the first 45 minutes.

He hadn't heard about the incident and was clearly unhappy with the exchange.

"It's the first I've heard of Balotelli swapping shirts at half-time but I am not happy about it. It's not something I stand for," Rodgers said.

"It tends to happen in other countries but if it has happened here then I will deal with it.

"We had a problem with that last season and I had to deal with it then so I will again if necessary."

The Daily Mail suggests the incident Rodgers is referring to is in one where defender Mamadou Sakho exchanged jerseys with former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o in a Premier League match last December.

There was speculation that Rodgers had punished Balotelli by taking him off at halftime in favour of Adam Lallana, but the Liverpool manager insisted that wasn't the case.

"It was a tactical switch so we could try to occupy their centre halves better and I thought Adam Lallana did well," he said.

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