Mario Balotelli will quit euro,s

[ifuhatepalacestandup]

Manchester City and Italy striker Mario Balotelli has threatened to walk off the pitch if he is racially abused at Euro 2012, which kicks off next week.

Balotelli added he would "kill" anyone who dared throw a banana at him in the street.

A recent BBC Panorama programme revealed cases of racism and anti-Semitism in football grounds in host nations Poland and Ukraine.

"If [racism] does happen I would leave the pitch and go home," said Balotelli.

"Racism is unacceptable to me, I cannot bear it. We are in 2012, it can't happen.

"If someone throws a banana at me in the street, I will go to prison because I will kill him."

The Panorama programme showed fans making Nazi salutes on the terraces, black players being taunted with monkey chants and a vicious assault on a group of Asian students.

Former England captain Sol Campbell advised fans not to travel, suggesting they would be risking their lives if they did so.

Ukraine's Euro 2012 director Markian Lubkivsky said Campbell's remarks were "insolent".

Former Inter Milan striker Balotelli, 21, was regularly the target of racist abuse when playing in Italy.

In an interview with France Football, Balotelli also said he believes he is a genius.

"I think I am a genius, but not a rebel," he said. "I have my life, my world. I do what I want, without annoying anyone.

"I believe I am more intelligent than the average person.

"The talent God gave me is beautiful and wonderful, but it is difficult because you are always facing other people keen to judge you.

"There are few people with such talent, so there are few able to judge what I am doing."



Is this what is required to bring this to a head at fifa or is Balotelli just being a nob

 

[Easy 10]

If he wasn't already, he's probably just made himself the prime target for abuse.

 

[ali jenkins]

I agree with what he is saying but isnt that just letting them win?

What would be better is if everyone just carried on as normal. (very hard to I know)

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

what a man

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

he's had this shit before, and can't be bothered with it anymore....quite right

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

flair.

 

[Kumquat]

I agree with what he is saying but isnt that just letting them win?

What would be better is if everyone just carried on as normal. (very hard to I know)

Don't agree myself. If you ignore it it doesn't get the press attention needed and everyone just parrots the same old shit. "Oh it's only the russians [insert, spanish, italian or any other south european/south american country] - they've always been like that."

I for one wil applaud Balotelli if he walks and I hope his captain supports him. It's about time people stood up to this. We haven't totally kicked it out of our football obviously but w'eve made massive steps in the last 20 years and its about time these countries did too. Only making a stand and disrupting a major tournament will force them to in my view.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

in hindsight, having a strikeforce of zlatan and mario for my fantasy football team could backfire.....

 

[Greavsey]

If he wasn't already, he's probably just made himself the prime target for abuse.

Spot on! That's exactly what the racist arseholes want.

Nevertheless would love to actually see someone have the bottle to do it.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Whilst killing is a bit far, totally agree with his right to stick two fingers up and just leave the pitch.

I saw a video of a black player recently getting abused in Turkey to the point where they stopped the game.

 

[strings]

The horrible thing is, it would take a team walking off the pitch at a major championship before UEFA or FIFA began to take the issue seriously. And even then, Blatter would probably say it was an over-reaction that that it should have been resolved with a handshake between the abused player(s) and all of the fans that were abusing him.

 

[The Fifth Column]

If anyone has the balls to simply walk off the pitch midway through a game at the Euros, I'm certain Balotelli has! For some reason I find it hard to dislike the man, I kind of like the fact he is a complete loose cannon and prone to bizarre behaviour, it brings a different dimension to the game.

 

[ees complicated no?]

Better take him out of my dream team then

 

[leigull]

Wonder if Gus is going to come out and call Mario a crybaby.......?

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Wonder if Gus is going to come out and call Mario a crybaby.......?

Hey its just the south American way so it's OK

 

[NickBHAFC18]

I think the attitude of some people in the Ukraine is disgusting, I still have not had a chance to watch the documentary on Panorama, but I'll watch it on catch up. If i was Balotelli and someone lobbed a banana at me, I'd beat that fucker into the ground. Then I would pick up a hefty ban and watch the racist walk away without punishment.

 

[Greavsey]

It would be fabulous if it wasn't England making the stand against racism for a change. I feel that we are perceived now as the only country that has a problem with our players being abused. It would need Germany, France or Italy to do so for UEFA and FIFA to finally recognise their disgusting ineptitude with regards to dealing with racist crowds and players.

 

[Rodney Thomas]

Probably won't get a game now..

 

[Gritt23]

It would be fabulous if it wasn't England making the stand against racism for a change. I feel that we are perceived now as the only country that has a problem with our players being abused. It would need Germany, France or Italy to do so for UEFA and FIFA to finally recognise their disgusting ineptitude with regards to dealing with racist crowds and players.

Agree with all of that, and this tournament could be the one where we see it. Not just Mario, but I could see teh French players kicking off at teh abuse. Is Evra in the squad? He is perfectly happy to stand up and be counted on this one, if he feels he's getting racial abuse he'll make a stand.

However, I could still see Blatter trying to blame the English influence on these 2 players. We actually need the players to make a stand and to be backed by their FA.

 

[albion534]

It would be fabulous if it wasn't England making the stand against racism for a change. I feel that we are perceived now as the only country that has a problem with our players being abused. It would need Germany, France or Italy to do so for UEFA and FIFA to finally recognise their disgusting ineptitude with regards to dealing with racist crowds and players.

after Blatter coming out with the whole penalty fiasco, would need the german team to do something before he takes note of anything, but if Baloteli did walk, would be amazing, becuase after russia won the bid to host, didnt Carlos get a banana thrown at him and walk off? yet theyre not racist
maybe if people start throwing bananas at him, Blatter will just blame Ukraine for a lack of bins?