In Serie A, spectators once again noticed racist behavior in the stadium. At the home game of Hellas Verona were heard from the ranks repeatedly monkey sounds, which were accompanied by the actions of Brescia striker Mario Balotelli. In the 54th minute of the 29-year-old took the ball in the game at the corner flag in the hand and shot him in the bleachers, from which the calls came, and raised his forefinger in the direction of the spectators.
Balotelli wanted to break off the game, left the field. The game was interrupted for minutes. His teammates and opponents also talked about the former international, who continued to play. The match continued after just over four minutes at the score of 1: 0 for Verona.
At the end, the home team won 2-1, but Balotelli scored in the 85th minute with a remarkable shot from 20 yards into the corner the final goal of the game. He did not cheer for the goal.
Balotelli has often been racially attacked
In recent months, several games have been interrupted in Italy because of racist incidents. Given the continuing discrimination in stadiums, the Italian association is now relying on the help of video evidence. In the future, not only referee decisions will be reviewed with the VAR, but also viewers who have become noticeable.
Balotelli often faced racist hostility in his career. He was insulted by Juventus fans at his first Serie A stop, and in AC Milan jersey he was repeatedly victim of racist interjections in Rome. The son of Ghanaian parents also experienced racist insults in the stadium during his engagement abroad. During his previous engagement in Nice, there were incidents during the guest appearance in Bastia.