Mario Balotelli could be handed the Italy captaincy against France in Nice, after a racist banner aimed at him in the Saudi Arabia game.
Fans in Switzerland unfurled a banner reading “my captain is of Italian blood”, with Super Mario responding on Instagram “we’re in 2018, enough lads!”
The striker was born in Palermo, before being adopted by an Italian family and being raised in Brescia.
Mario Balotelli could be handed the Italy captaincy against France in Nice, after a racist banner aimed at him in the Saudi Arabia game.
Fans in Switzerland unfurled a banner reading “my captain is of Italian blood”, with Super Mario responding on Instagram “we’re in 2018, enough lads!”
The striker was born in Palermo, before being adopted by an Italian family and being raised in Brescia.
The Italy captaincy is simply passed on to the player with the most caps, with Leonardo Bonucci taking over from Gianluigi Buffon for the Saudi Arabia game.
The Milan centre-back was allowed to return to Italy for personal reasons yesterday, but should be available to face France.
However, he may be rested to give Mattia Caldara his chance in defence, and Nice striker Balotelli could be given the captaincy in his “home” stadium.
Both he and Mattia De Sciglio have 34 caps, but the Juventus player would usually get the armband as he’d been called up 49 times to Balotelli’s 38.
Gazzetta dello Sport reports though that Super Mario could be given the armband for the match, sending a clear message to the racists.
“It could be an idea,” the FIGC’s director general Michele Uva said on Radio 24.
“It has to be down to the CT though, everything has to have a technical and not just social symbology.
“We could soon have two captains of colour in the national teams, for me it’s very normal. A normal event, in a normal country.
“Unfortunately idiots exist, and football sometimes attracts the evils of a country.”