Mario Balotelli believes the solution to racism in football is to “isolate certain people, make them look ridiculous”.
The Nice striker has been on the end of racist abuse in both Italy and France, and has been targeted by far-right political parties.
“We still have a long way to go to free the stadiums from this scourge,” Balotelli said, in a video message broadcast at the Antiracist World Cup in Castelfranco Emilia.
Mario Balotelli believes the solution to racism in football is to “isolate certain people, make them look ridiculous”.
The Nice striker has been on the end of racist abuse in both Italy and France, and has been targeted by far-right political parties.
“We still have a long way to go to free the stadiums from this scourge,” Balotelli said, in a video message broadcast at the Antiracist World Cup in Castelfranco Emilia.
“Italy is not a racist country, but there are racists. France is not a racist country, but there are racists. In every country in the world there are people with rotten thoughts.
“The task of everyone is to isolate certain people, make them look ridiculous in the face of this medieval way of thinking which cannot exist in 2018.
“I’m 100 per cent Italian, because I was born in Palermo to Ghanaian parents, but not everyone was aware of that. Meanwhile, Italian law is wrong.
“Maybe today some still see black as the colour of the different, of the inferior, of the mistake in the team photograph.
“We must be ready to strongly denounce all forms of discrimination we witness or of which we are direct victims.
“Change is in the hands of the new generations, our children, we must show that we are all the same.
“A hug to everyone, and forza Italia… the national team obviously!”
The final sentence was delivered with a laugh, as Forza Italia is the name of Silvio Berlusconi’s political party.