Mario Balotelli, the electrifying Italian striker known as “Super Mario,” has long been a polarising figure in football.
With a career spanning top clubs like Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool, and Genoa, Balotelli’s talent is undeniable.
His powerful shots, deft footwork, and knack for scoring in clutch moments have made him a standout player.
Yet, alongside his on-field brilliance, Balotelli has faced a relentless barrage of racist abuse that has tested his passion for the sport he loves.
While he has never explicitly said racism “killed” his love for football, the cumulative weight of discrimination has undeniably left deep scars, shaping his career and public persona.
Born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1990 to Ghanaian immigrant parents, Mario Barwuah was fostered at age three by the Balotelli family in Brescia, Italy, hence adopting their surname.
Growing up in a predominantly white region, Balotelli faced prejudice early in life.
As he rose through the ranks of Italian football, his identity as a Black Italian made him a target for racist vitriol.
Despite his Italian citizenship and pride in representing his country, Balotelli has repeatedly been told he “cannot be Italian” because of his skin colour.
This rejection began early, with racial taunts during school matches and parents questioning his age due to stereotypes about African athletes.
Balotelli’s professional career began at Lumezzane in 2005, followed by a move to Inter Milan in 2007, where he won the treble (Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League) in 2010.
His success continued at Manchester City, where he helped secure a Premier League title and FA Cup, and later at AC Milan, Nice, and other clubs.
Yet, his achievements were often overshadowed by racist abuse, particularly in Italy’s Serie A, where the issue of racism in football has been a persistent challenge for him.
Balotelli’s encounters with racism are well-documented and span his entire career.
In 2009, while playing for Inter Milan, Juventus fans displayed a banner reading, “A negro cannot be Italian,” a direct attack on his identity.
In 2010, during a friendly match in Austria, right-wing Italian fans unfurled a banner stating, “No to a multi-ethnic national team,” booing Balotelli every time he touched the ball.
In 2013, Roma fans reportedly threw bananas at him in a bar, prompting Balotelli to stick out his tongue in defiance after scoring against them.
One of the most publicised incidents occurred in November 2019 during a Serie A match between Brescia and Hellas Verona.
Balotelli, then 29, was subjected to monkey chants from a section of Verona fans.
Visibly frustrated, he kicked the ball into the stands and threatened to walk off the pitch.
Teammates and opponents persuaded him to stay, and after a five-minute suspension of play, he scored a stunning goal, a powerful act of defiance.
These incidents are not isolated.
Between 2011 and 2016, the Observatory on Racism in Football recorded 249 racist incidents in Italian stadiums, with 60 in the 2018–2019 season alone.
Balotelli has been a frequent target, with similar abuse reported during his time at Inter, AC Milan, and Brescia.
In 2018, he told CNN he would walk off the pitch if faced with racism again, reflecting his growing frustration.
“In England, I never saw anything like this. In France, I’ve not seen much—but no one is like Italy. In Italy, it is really extreme,” he said, comparing his experiences across countries.
As his agent, Mino Raiola, stated in 2015, “People judge [Balotelli] too much and I think that is because he lives in a country that is not ready to have such a strong black player.”
Raiola argued that Black players in Italy must “do twice as much as others to prove themselves,” highlighting the systemic bias Balotelli navigates.
Balotelli’s behaviour such as his refusal to celebrate goals, famously stating, “When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?” has been interpreted as arrogance but may reflect a defense mechanism against a hostile environment.
His 2019 Instagram post after the Verona incident emphasised his Italian identity: “The problem is that I am Italian,” underscoring the personal sting of being rejected by his own country.
Despite the adversity, Balotelli has shown remarkable resilience.
His two goals against Germany in the Euro 2012 semi-final made him a national hero, briefly shifting the narrative from his struggles to his talent.
Balotelli’s career, now in its later stages with his 2024 move to Genoa, continues to be a mix of brilliance and controversy.
His talent has earned him accolades, including the 2010 Golden Boy Award, but the persistent racism has made his journey far harder than it should have been.
Balotelli’s visibility as a Black Italian athlete has made him a symbol of this cultural shift, but it has come at a personal cost.
As he continues his career with Genoa at age 34, Balotelli remains a powerful reminder that talent can shine through adversity, but football must do more to protect its stars from hate.
Until then, Balotelli’s fight, both on and off the pitch, will remain a defining part of his legacy.
ALL/VPO
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