17.01.2010
Juve fans continue to bait Balotelli
Inter-Milan's forward Mario Balotelli celerates after scoring against Rubin Kazan in Milan in 2009. Juventus fans have continued their campaign of abuse against Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli during a match away to Chievo in Verona.
Earlier this week Juve were hit with a partial stadium closure due to chants of a racial nature their fans directed at Balotelli, an Italian of Ghanaian origin, in previous matches.
It was the third time this season that Juve had been punished for racial chants, although previously they were hit only with fines.
This time around their south stand, from where the majority of the chants tend to originate, has been closed for their next Serie A home game against Roma next weekend.
Last season they were forced to play one match behind closed doors due to racist chants against the same player during their home match against Inter Milan.
The chants during Sunday's game were not racial in nature but the continued targeting of Balotelli, who is black, has ensured racism remains a hot topic in Italian football circles.
Juve were previously punished when fans chanted: "There are no black Italians", while Sunday's chorus consisted of: "If you jump up and down, Balotelli will die".
Teenager Balotelli is a divisive figure in Italian football largely due to his occasionally impetuous on-field behaviour.
However, the forward is also considered one of the country's brightest young talents and many commentators are clamouring for him to be included in Italy's World Cup for South Africa in June.
Balotelli's parents are Ghanaian immigrants and he was born in Palermo on the island of Sicily before being fostered to an Italian family when he was three.
His birth-parents' surname is Barwuah but he uses the surname of his adoptive parents.
Source: © 2010 AFP - Filippo Monteforte
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Italy / Italy Serie A 2009-10 .jpg)
