https://twitter.com/FinallyMario
ROME (AP) — The ball that Mario Balotelli angrily kicked high into the stands out of frustration because of racist chants is still traveling.
Figuratively speaking, at least.
In a Serie A season that has been marred by discriminatory slurs from the outset, Balotelli’s outburst has prompted more debate, more outrage and more indignation over the problem of racism inside Italy’s stadiums than any other case.
“I am not saying that I am different from the other players who receive the same abuse, the same monkey noises, but the problem is that I am Italian,” said Balotelli, who was born in Italy to Ghanaian immigrants and has represented the Italian national team.
Luca Castellini, the leader of the Hellas Verona “ultra” fan section that directed the racist chants at Balotelli and a leader in the far-right party Forza Nuova in Verona, sees it in his own way.
“Balotelli is Italian because he has Italian citizenship but he’ll never be fully Italian,” Castellini said Monday, a day after the incident during the second half of the Verona-Brescia game.
“I’ll be honest, I really like the stadium in Verona and their fans, as they have always mocked in an amusing and ironic way,” Balotelli said on TV channel Italia 1. “If they want to distract a player, they can do it in a thousand ways, but not (with racism).
“My daughter saw this on TV and that made it hurt three times as much,” Balotelli added. “I can take all kinds of insults, but ones based on racism are not acceptable, have never been acceptable and never will be acceptable. Those who did it, and I repeat they are only a few, are complete idiots.”
https://apnews.com/2538f064576749498f9f640d313fa77e
https://twitter.com/FinallyMario
ROME (AP) — The ball that Mario Balotelli angrily kicked high into the stands out of frustration because of racist chants is still traveling.
Figuratively speaking, at least.
In a Serie A season that has been marred by discriminatory slurs from the outset, Balotelli’s outburst has prompted more debate, more outrage and more indignation over the problem of racism inside Italy’s stadiums than any other case.
“I am not saying that I am different from the other players who receive the same abuse, the same monkey noises, but the problem is that I am Italian,” said Balotelli, who was born in Italy to Ghanaian immigrants and has represented the Italian national team.
Luca Castellini, the leader of the Hellas Verona “ultra” fan section that directed the racist chants at Balotelli and a leader in the far-right party Forza Nuova in Verona, sees it in his own way.
“Balotelli is Italian because he has Italian citizenship but he’ll never be fully Italian,” Castellini said Monday, a day after the incident during the second half of the Verona-Brescia game.
“I’ll be honest, I really like the stadium in Verona and their fans, as they have always mocked in an amusing and ironic way,” Balotelli said on TV channel Italia 1. “If they want to distract a player, they can do it in a thousand ways, but not (with racism).
“My daughter saw this on TV and that made it hurt three times as much,” Balotelli added. “I can take all kinds of insults, but ones based on racism are not acceptable, have never been acceptable and never will be acceptable. Those who did it, and I repeat they are only a few, are complete idiots.”
https://apnews.com/2538f064576749498f9f640d313fa77e
https://twitter.com/FinallyMario
