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Dante has defended Mario Balotelli and said he was "surprised" by his Nice teammate's red card in the victory at Lorient on Saturday. Balotelli was sent off for a third time in just 14 league appearances for Nice 68 minutes into his club's 1-0 win in Brittany. Match referee Tony Chapron said Balotelli had aimed a "classic" English insult at him during the game, prompting the official to dismiss him. The Italy international was also sent off in his club's game at Bordeaux just before Christmas and in the home game against Lorient in October, although that dismissal was rescinded. Balotelli will now miss Nice's Ligue 1 encounter with Montpellier on Friday, leaving boss Lucien Favre without him and injured fellow first-choice forward Alassane Plea. "We always try to help him, to speak to him. It's surprising to see him do that," Dante told Canal+ on Sunday. "He had had a very good week of training, he was very focused, calm. It's a shame. He'll need to come back because we really need him." Balotelli, who has scored nine times in 14 league appearances for Nice since arriving from Liverpool last summer, was also defended by goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale. "He didn't say much," Cardinale told reporters after the game in Lorient. "Perhaps the referee wanted to make a name for himself. Sometimes, they give out cards for nothing." Favre, however, brushed off suggestions Balotelli's controversial reputation had been a factor in Chapron's decision to send the former Inter Milan, Manchester City and AC Milan forward for an early bath. "You think it's red because it's Balotelli? That's nonsense," he said after his team's triumph, which came courtesy of an early Wylan Cyprien goal and moved Nice level on points with second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, three points adrift of leaders Monaco. "They are perfectly impartial. If there is a reason to send someone off, they do it. If there is no reason to send someone off, they don't do it."
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