Mario Balotelli on Sunday lashed out after again being targeted by racist insults, this time from SS Lazio fans after he scored for Brescia in a 2-1 Serie A defeat, telling his tormentors: “Shame on you.”
“A defeat that hurts but we will come back stronger and we are on the right track,” the 29-year-old Italy international wrote on Instagram. “Lazio fans that were today at the stadium SHAME ON YOU!”
Balotelli struck the first goal after 18 minutes at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti, before title-chasers Lazio hit back with a Ciro Immobile brace, but the game was overshadowed by insulting chants aimed at the former Manchester City and Liverpool forward.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“It’s already the second time,” Balotelli told referee Gianluca Manganiello after half an hour, with the latter replying: “Now I’ll take care of it.”
Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi gestured in front of the visiting fans to stop the chanting, as an announcement was read over the stadium speakers, reminding spectators play would be suspended and their club penalized if they continued.
Brescia fans tried to drown out the insults with whistles and cheering, which Balotelli applauded.
Lazio later issued a statement condemning the behavior of “a very small minority of fans.”
“The club confirms once again that it condemns these unjustified excesses, and it intends to prosecute those who betray their own sporting passion and cause serious damage to the image of the club and the Biancoceleste,” Lazio said.
Balotelli in November last year threatened to walk off the pitch after being the target of monkey chants at Verona, with Inter’s Romelu Lukaku, AC Milan’s Franck Kessie and ACF Fiorentina’s Dalbert also victims of abuse this season.
An anti-racism campaign launched by Serie A last month featuring three monkeys drew widespread criticism and ridicule.
Balotelli picked up where he left off before the winter break, pulling clear of Luiz Felipe to volley in his first home goal for Brescia and the first of the decade in Serie A.
He also scored the first goal of the previous decade in January 2010 with Inter.
However, Lazio still stretched their winning streak to nine consecutive league games to consolidate third place, three points behind leaders Inter and Juventus.
Immobile struck the winner after 91 minutes, having also converted from the penalty spot before halftime.
Brescia were reduced to 10 men when Andrea Cistana was sent off for a second yellow card after bringing down Felipe Caicedo after 39 minutes.
Serie A top scorer Immobile pulled Lazio back on level terms from the penalty spot three minutes later, before increasing his league tally to 19, connecting with a Caicedo cross to fire in the stoppage-time winner.
The result meant that Inzaghi equaled Sven Goran Eriksson’s Lazio record of nine consecutive league wins set in the 1998-1999 season. The Swedish coach led Lazio to their last Serie A title in 1999-2000.
“We absolutely want the [UEFA] Champions League,” said Inzaghi, whose side beat Juventus to lift the Supercoppa Italiana last month.
City rivals AS Roma, four points behind in fourth place, lost ground after an Andrea Belotti brace gave Torino a 2-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico in the capital.
Hellas Verona are just behind in 10th place after Giampaolo Pazzini and Mariusz Stepinski scored in either half in a 2-0 win over 10-man SPAL, who dropped to bottom of the table after their 12th defeat of the season.
New Genoa coach Davide Nicola got off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over US Sassuolo, the port side’s first since October last year.
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