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Mario Balotelli racially abused by Italy fans

Lineker

By Lineker
in Myke's Sports Bar

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Lineker

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Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has been subjected to racist abuse during Italy's 1-1 draw with Romania.

The Manchester City striker was booed every time he touched the ball and was taunted by a group of about 100 extreme right-wing Italian fans.

A banner of bearing the message - "No to a multi-ethnic national team" - was confiscated in Klagenfurt's HypoArena stadium where the match was played.

Only 3,000 fans watched the game in Austria because of commercial reasons.

Before his move to City from Inter Milan during the summer the Sicily-born Balotelli was subjected to racist abuse by Juventus supporters, who hung banners in their stadium last year which read: "A negro cannot be Italian".

At the time of his move to Eastlands, Balotelli's older sister Cristina told BBC Sport: "Mario is very proud to be black and Italian. He wants to represent Italy. He was born in Italy. He's never been to Africa, not yet. His country is Italy.

"It will be easier [in England]. In your football stadiums, you don't have these kinds of episodes. Mario is always painted as a bad boy - but there is a background of racism in Italian society. He wasn't forgiven for things that you would forgive other people for."

Balotelli carried the only real threat in the first-half for Italy and managed two efforts on goal before he was replaced by Fabio Quagliarella on 59 minutes.

Ciprian Marica gave Romania a deserved 34th-minute lead when he rifled home a shot only to then deflect in Quagliarella's header eight minutes from time.

"I feel disappointment and anger," said Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, referring to the racist abuse directed at Balotelli.

"We always hear these chants and something has to be done about it. We feel helpless. He has the support of everyone."

City forward Balotelli is currently serving a three-match suspension after being sent off in Manchester City's win at West Brom on 7 November.

He is ineligible to play against Fulham on Sunday, but will be available to play for City against Stoke on 27 November.

Disgusting that people in Western civilizations can still have such backwards view on things like race. If I were Balotelli I wouldn't bother playing internation football any longer; he should make himself unavailable for selection.

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Hobo Hall Of Famer

Hobo

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Oddly just read a thread Ellis posted about the this stuff, while Balotelli was still in Italy, on DL last year. According to Ringy at the time, Balotelli:

Dives, cheats, taunts opposition fans, does interviews saying if he wanted to earn slave wages he'd move back to Africa, says Italians eat pasta because they really want to eat worms, refused to shake Maldini's hand on the last Milan derby, is generally petulant and once answered "Fucking your mom" to a reporter who asked him what he was looking forward to this season. He is not a nice man! All of Italy hates him! It's why nothing will be done about this racism!

:shifty:

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Colly Hall Of Famer

Colly

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Is this news? Didn't this happen to him a lot in Italy?

Yes, he's a wanker but theres no excuse for racism, and unfortunately some of the more 'Westernised' European countries still have an undercurrent of racist minority who are big enough to make the rest of them look stupid at sporting events (Spain against England a few years back, and the 'Lewis Hamiltons family' incident). Governing bodies should be clamping down properly, but no doubt it'll be a slap on the wrist while the English still carry the hooligan reputation of the 80's.

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ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster Hall Of Famer

ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster

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Did I say totally? No, I don't think I did. :rolleyes:

Also, there is difference between general fighty hooliganism and pinpointed banners and chants towards players on the pitch.

THIS KIND OF STUFF:

barnes_1009818c.jpg

Is unacceptable. And yet happens all over Eastern Europe (and I mean the banana, not John Barnes).....Didn't he just start picking them up and eating them though...Or was that Cyril Regis?

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METALMAN Hall Of Famer

METALMAN

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But it happens plenty here too. It happens in England and it happens in Scotland (although only Rangers and Celtic obviously <_<). We all really like to denounce these foreign fans for it but we're not exactly perfect either.

In all likelihood, it is much more of a problem in Italy, but it's still ridiculous to say that English fans are completely undeserving of their reputation. I mean, there's always some form of bust-up with England fans are in an international tournament - although recently you always find England getting a slap on the wrist too, so there's no need to feel victimised.

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Colly Hall Of Famer

Colly

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Not perfect at all. As a half-arsed attempt to defend the Mido incident though, the chants referred to the fact he looked like the shoe bomber and weren't Islamophobic in the slightest. Insensitive perhaps, but less racist than making monkey noises at Peter Reid...

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Hobo Hall Of Famer

Hobo

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Just as recently as a few weeks a go Stokerino was talking about Chelsea fans who chant stuff anti-semetic stuff about Spurs. And yes, Italian football by all accounts is a bit of a mess in general. I imagine the only real reason why this is reported now, by English media, because he's playing in England.

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Pesci Intercontinental Champion

Pesci

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"Adebayor, Adebayor,

His dad washes elephants,

His mum is a whore"

- Spurs & Arsenal fans

Nope, no racism in English football. :shifty:

To be fair, that chant is awesome and formed the basis of many a drunken chant at uni :shifty: (in the confines of our own flat, not in the street pointing at black people)

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