The Liverpool striker risked angering supporters by publicly handing Pepe his shirt with his side 3-0 down after 45 minutes of Wednesday's Champions League game. Rodgers afterwards said he would talk to Balotelli and, as far as the manager is concerned, the issue is now in the past.
"Any action would be kept within ourselves," he toldSky Sports News HQ. "(There was) a conversation on the coach or in this country and, in particular, Liverpool and that was it. Matter closed."
The debate about Balotelli's form shows little sign of abating, though, and two Liverpool greats had their say on Sky Sports in the hours after the Real Madrid game.
Rodgers defended the player against accusations of a lack of effort but stopped short of guaranteeing his long-term Anfield future.Graeme Souness questioned whether the £16m summer signing is able "to see the football picture", while Jamie Carragher went as far as to suggest Balotelli will be sold before next season.
He said: "I think there'll be that (speculation) - whether it's deserved or not, it's part of the game and you have to accept that.
"The boy's genuinely trying very, very hard. Longer-term we'll see where that works out for him, but certainly he is working hard on the training field to improve his opportunities to play and score goals.
"As long as he's doing his best that is all I can ask as a manager. Whether that best is going to be good enough longer-term remains to be seen, but that's the same for every player.
"I think he's like every other player: he wants to score and obviously at this moment he's not. Hard work will improve your confidence, and when you're confident you have more success. It's as simple as that."
source: skysport
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