UPDATE: Italian club punished over racist abuse

Punishment has befallen Italian club Hellas Verona over the Mario Balotelli ‘racism’ incident. In Brescia’s Serie A away tie to Hellas Verona on Sunday, the striker threatened to walk off the pitch over alleged racial abuse directed at him by the home fans.

Read: ‘We must punish these ignorant people!’

He reacted by angrily kicking the ball into the stands. The referee brought play to a halt and a statement was read out to the crowd on the stadium’s tannoy system in an attempt to control the situation. Since then, Verona have been ordered to close part of their stadium for one game.

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Mario Balotelli has clapped back at racist Italian fans (Image: Sourced).

Serie A’s disciplinary commission announced on Tuesday that the stadium’s Poltrone Est will not be used for the specified amount of time. This comes after Verona banned the head of their ultras fan group, Luca Castellini, from attending team games for 11 years. Castellini made the brash comments that Balotelli could ‘never be completely Italian’. Verona said Castellini’s remarks were grossly against the ethical principles and values ​​of the club.

Balotelli, who joined Brescia from Marseille, clapped back at Castellini on Monday. “You are getting into social and historical situations that are bigger than you, you small-minded people,” he said. “Wake up you imbeciles, you are shambolic. When I scored a goal for Italy, and – I guarantee you – I will do so again, you are fine with that, aren’t you?”

‘We will not give up’

At a meeting of the Italian FA (FIGC) on Tuesday, its president Gabriele Gravina called for increased use of technology to identify culprits. In solidarity with Balotelli, whose original birthplace is in Palermo, Italy, Gravina said:

Read: Raheem Sterling calls for solutions on racism in football

“Balotelli is Italian, he proved to be more Italian than those who offended him. The FIGC will not give up until we put an end to these deplorable episodes.”

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Italian FA president Gabriele Gravina has called for increased use of technology to identify culprits of purported racism in stadiums (Image: Sourced).

He added: “We must respond with advanced technological systems, which remove all alibis. Hence the need for an ever-closer collaboration between the Italian Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ministry of the Interior, for the identification of the subjects. In this, the FIGC claims a central role.”

Meanwhile, a motion was put forward to the Verona city Council by Councillor Andrea Bacciga, calling for any players who defame the city to face justice.