Mario Balotelli believes he would have had fewer problems and easily forgiven if he was white.
The ex-Liverpool, Manchester City and AC Milan star, currently contracted to Nice is arguably the most controversial footballer at the moment.
“In some stadiums, people chanted ‘There are no black Italians’ at me, yet I am the proof that there are,” SuperMario told So Foot in France.
“Even if I am Italian, born and raised in Italy, the law states I only became Italian once I reached the age of 18. The law is wrong and that is perhaps why to this day some people see black as the colour of diversity, of inferiority of an error in the middle of a team photograph.
“I think that if I had been white, I’d have had fewer problems. Perhaps I did cause some of my own problems and had the wrong attitude at times, but would I have been forgiven quicker? Absolutely yes.”
Yet Balotelli does have hope for the future and insists the issue is not as widespread as some think.
“Italy is not a racist country, but it does have some racists in it. The change is in the hands of the next generation and we must teach our children that everyone is the same, despite apparent differences.”
