Mario Balotelli keep suffering racist abuse
The case of racism in Italy has become a very serious case, it must be addressed immediately, so that it does not get worse. Firm sanctions have not yet been imposed by the FIGC for perpetrators of racism, as a result this case continues to occur. The latest, befalling the Brescia striker who is familiar in our ears, Mario Balotelli when his team visited Lazio’s headquarters.
Brescia did come to the Lazio headquarters on Sunday (05/01), in the continuation of the 19th Italian Serie A giornata. In that match, Mario Balotelli dropped since the first minute, and even managed to score the opening goal in the 18th minute. Unfortunately, the superiority of the visitors did not last until it was over. Host Lazio even managed to reverse the position to 1-2.
Apart from the final result which of course was disappointing for Brescia, there was an incident that made the referee have to stop the match. It was a song that smells of racism echoed by a group of Lazio fans in the middle of the match. Mario Balotelli who was the victim or target of racism, reported it to the referee.
The announcement from the stadium was also made. This announcement urged the fans not to sing chants that smelled of discrimination and threatened the match would be postponed if the singing continued. A handful of Brescia fans who attended the match continued to shout “Mario, Mario, Mario” as a form of their support for the former AC Milan player.
Well, after the match, the figure who also once defended Liverpool then condemned the actions of Lazio supporters related to racism.
“A painful defeat but will come back stronger and we are on the right track! Tifosi Lazio, who today is in the stadium SHAME #saynotoracism,” Balotelli wrote through his personal Instagram account.
Since returning to Italy last summer, Balotelli is still often become the victim of racism-related harassment, both inside and outside the stadium. Included in the match against Hellas Verona in November 2019, even then Balotelli kicked the ball at the stands because they could not hold back their emotions.
Ironically, the President of the Brescia Club, also mocked Balotelli with racism, calling him the former Inter Milan player with the word ‘black’.