***Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Thread***
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Italy's culture of racism exposed by fans' abuse of black football star
The songs are varied, offensive and, in at least one case, openly racist. "If you jump up and down, Balotelli dies" is a favourite with supporters of arguably the most famous Italian football club, Juventus.
"A negro cannot be Italian" is the chant that explains the vitriol. The target of the abuse is 19-year-old Mario Balotelli, a footballer with Italian champions Inter Milan and a rising star of Italy's Under-21 national team.
"The difference [from other black players] is Balotelli is totally black and totally Italian, and that has provoked a short circuit among fans," said Sandro Modeo, a correspondent for Corriere della Sera.
As Italy's immigrant total reaches 7%, the treatment of many of the "Balotelli generation" – the half-million children of immigrants born in Italy who qualify by law for Italian citizenship on their 18th birthday – is becoming an increasingly controversial issue in a country which still, overwhelmingly, considers itself white.
Yesterday, a black Italian writer, Pap Khouma, wrote an open letter to La Repubblica, headlined "Being a black Italian: my life as an obstacle course". In it, he described incidents of routine discrimination: regular requests to provide his permit to stay in Italy; being mistaken for a street-seller by his Milanese neighbours. On one occasion, running through Milan's streets late for work, Khouma was stopped by a policeman, asked for his papers and escorted to the local station as a non-EU "foreigner". "Have you any idea," Khouma asked the paper's readers, "what it means to be Italian and black in Italy in 2009?"
Growing up in rich, industrial Brescia, the player became used to racial abuse during school matches, with parents pointing to his height and claiming "with these Africans you can never tell what age they really are".
On the pitch as a professional, he has sometimes been unable to ignore the hostility from the stands. Faced with Roma fans who reportedly threw bananas at him in a bar, he stuck his tongue out at an opposition defender after scoring against them. For that, claimed the Roma captain Francesco Totti, he "deserved a slap".
"It's a shame that everyone is more upset with me than with the people yelling at me," replied Balotelli.
not that cut and dry to me. he grew up in italy, italy is all he's known all his life. so it wouldn't be so easy to just leave everything you've ever known as well as the family that raised you to go to a place where your racial identity matches but the culture and way of life is totally different.
he's italian through and through so i understand him turning down ghana in a sense cause he feels he should be able to play for his home country...italy
So fuck him b/c he decided to no play for Ghana? Maybe he hopes that he could bring a change to the racism, maybe he feels that he's more identifiable with Italy than Ghana. That's a lil much just because he went for the country he was born and raised than the one of his parents who abandoned him.
Yeah he knew what they were about, but maybe he never knew Ghanaians at all???
Anyway he grew up there that's what he identified with.
Blacks in America identify with America and they were getting lynched until 50 odd years ago!!!
Balotelli is Italian. He knows nothing about Ghana so I don't fault him for trying to represent the land/culture that he knows. It would be one thing is the Italians only let Italians represent them at the senior national level. However, Amauri (brazilian) and Camoranesi (Argentine) have played at that level with no controversy. I hope that he ends up in London (Chelsea or even Arsenal) and comes back to haunt those stupid Italian fucks in the CL. Anyone who watched Italy play a few days ago knows that they were lacking the pace, skill on the ball, creativity and set piece expertise that Balotelli brings....
Italy plays very conservatively and have been for a while. The problem was that they didn't bother to push up in any respect. The minute Camoranesi came in I saw them work the ball in the opposing half. I was talkin to my boy who is Italian and he was happy with what he say minus the fuck up on that corner. But we both agree Lippi needs to go to a 4-4-2 and put De Natalie and Gilardinho up front.
This racism in football is still a problem. The question is how can we change it? I wouldn't mind seeing him in the EPL...just as long as it's not Man U
Italy plays very conservatively and have been for a while. The problem was that they didn't bother to push up in any respect. The minute Camoranesi came in I saw them work the ball in the opposing half. I was talkin to my boy who is Italian and he was happy with what he say minus the fuck up on that corner. But we both agree Lippi needs to go to a 4-4-2 and put De Natalie and Gilardinho up front.
This racism in football is still a problem. The question is how can we change it? I wouldn't mind seeing him in the EPL...just as long as it's not Man U
I agree that Italy live for the counter and for 1 nil score lines but they were definitely missing the creativity of Pirlo in the middle or the directness/strength of a Gattusso...
Balotelli should come to the EPL definitely...anywhere but MANUre...
Good looks
Quite an interesting article. I think that he will play for regularly for the national team. In Europe, it's hard for brothers to get a look in for a national side. But once that happens, others will follow. Just like England and France
http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamBlack/Black.html
thank you been saying this on here. he thinks he is italian well boy look in the mirror. they will never give him a chance and if they do the first mistake he will make he is a dead guy. i could understand if ghana was reallllllly wack. but wit balotellli ghana would have been 10x more dangerous
He would be welcome at Arsenal. But may be a bit too awkward for Wenger to handle..........we don't want another Anelka
Fuck Spain(Even though my boy Cesc is Spanish but he seems cool with the brothers). And hopefully people will see Fabregas >>>>> Xavi.
its not like he has any option diaby sagna gallas would murder him
Errr... remember Van Persie? Wenger would handle him well. But I don't want him. He's too tempestuous. Not worth him upsetting the rest of the locker room.
thank you been saying this on here. he thinks he is italian well boy look in the mirror. they will never give him a chance and if they do the first mistake he will make he is a dead guy. i could understand if ghana was reallllllly wack. but wit balotellli ghana would have been 10x more dangerous
Wouldn't it be funny if Ghana advance and Italy don't.
You never know. We made it to the last 16 last WC.its not like he has any option diaby sagna gallas would murder him
But he's been in London since he was 15, so I'm sure any of those typical racist Spanish attitudes have been neutralized.
Wouldn't it be funny if Ghana advance and Italy don't.
Living or working with people from other countries broadens your views. I am sure that he had some negative views fed to him in Spain. But, that would have been changed living in London.
I miss those days.
Wouldn't it be funny if Ghana advance and Italy don't.
yeah it would be funny if ghana advance italy
yeah i hate spain ever since reyes and that bitch ass coach dissed henry
Golazo!
Goalkeeper did not stand a chance. Forlan kept his shirt on (no homo). Refs will book you for that.
That Kiwi player got booked yesterday......for taking his shirt off
It would be messed up to be sent off for celebrating if you already had a yellow and then ended up being dismissed for that
That Kiwi player got booked yesterday......for taking his shirt off
It would be messed up to be sent off for celebrating if you already had a yellow and then ended up being dismissed for that
I saw that in one EPL league game I think. He scored a last minute winner and then got sent off for a second booking.
Idiot.
I hope I am proven wrong, but I don't see two goals coming from SA in the second half.
Can't see it coming as well.
yeah man, that exclusion made zero sense to me. Its not like SA have host of premier league quality players.
If that is the best alternative for South Africa, they might as well give up now.
he's got a cotton ball in his mouth
South Africa getting scrappy and I can see someone getting a red card
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they'll be lucky if they get 1 goal!!!
Nice revenge tackle. That Uruguayan took out a brother earlier on
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