EURO 2012: Mario Balotelli & Racism

It now seems that controversy is everywhere the Azzurri turn. From pre-tournament match fixing scandals, Cassano's misinterpreted comments, to the moronic racism that has targeted Balotelli - the Azzurri is knee deep in it.

The previous controversies I didn't want to touch on. I felt that the media was simply playing host to spreading sensational propaganda that had little to do with the Azzurri. But today's revelation that the Croatian Federation is being investigated by UEFA for defamation by their fans to our star striker has... for lack of a better term... pissed me off.

Living in North America; and watching many of their so-called sports; racism seems like a thing of the past. I mean, you don't hear "Monkey Noises" or you don't see Banana's being thrown onto a basketball court during a match. It's sheer lunacy that we continue to see such defamation of players due to their race or ethnicity. Actually, it's quite shocking that a continent who claims to be as progressive as Europe does tolerates such nonsense.

There are more important things for fans of these nations to be concerned about than targeting someone's race... for a start; try focusing on how the politicians of these countries are single handedly running their economies into the ground.

I bring this topic up not because I like Balotelli; I bring it up because; in all my years of watching football, I have never seen racism take such a centre stage at an International Tournament. True, FIFA has always claimed to be against racism; but in this tournament; Mario Balotelli is not only a pivotal figure on the pitch, it's off the pitch that his persona and talent are finally shedding light on an issue that has been silenced for years.



Here's the article of the investigation courtesy of the Huffington Post:

WARSAW, Poland -- UEFA made its first formal charges of racism at the European Championship on Saturday, opening a case against the Croatian soccer association after receiving reports that fans made monkey chants at Italy forward Mario Balotelli.


Croatia is charged with "improper conduct" of supporters, including "racist chants, racist symbols" at a game in Poznan on Thursday, the European soccer governing body said in a statement.


UEFA received reports from anti-discrimination monitors working with Football Against Racism in Europe, who wrote that Croatia fans made monkey noises and displayed far-right nationalist flags.


Balotelli, who is black, started the game for Italy against Croatia, and was replaced in the second half of the 1-1 draw.


"It was fairly consistent throughout the game," FARE executive director Piara Powar told The Associated Press. "It was at its most intense as he was substituted and left the field."


The charge also relates to fireworks thrown on the field after Croatia scored, which delayed Italy's kickoff to restart the game.


UEFA said its disciplinary panel will judge the case against Croatia on Tuesday.


UEFA rules make national associations responsible for their fans' behavior. Punishments range from warnings and a sliding scale of fines to points deductions and even expulsion from Euro 2012.


UEFA is also studying reports that a banana was thrown toward the field from a section housing Croatia fans.



Balotelli has been the target of reported abuse at both Italy matches at Euro 2012.


UEFA is investigating claims by a Spanish fans' group that some Spain followers made monkey chants at him during a Group C match last Sunday in Gdansk.


In a separate investigation, UEFA is seeking evidence to support claims that Russian fans made monkey noises at Czech Republic defender Theodor Gebre Selassie in Wroclaw.


UEFA pledged zero tolerance of racism in Poland and Ukraine during the three-week tournament.
*Please note: I don't like introducing politics into the Footballing fold. I do believe this is history unfolding right in front of us; this is an issue that will affect future tournaments and future leagues. If handled correctly, UEFA could be on the right side of history.


Who here thinks they should boot Croatia from the tournament!?


We'll have a pre-match summary for you shortly!




Forza Italia and Forza Azzurri

This Week in Pictures... Prandelli Speaks!

Gigi Buffon and James Spithill chatting @ The Giro

Could this be the Azzurri's Dynamic Duo?

No return to form! Lippi Set's Aside Azzurri ambitions and signs with Guangzhou. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fat pay check! 

Prandelli unleashes the list of the 32 men who have a shot at hoisting the 2012 European Championship

With regards to the call ups here is what Prandelli had to say in his own words:

"When you are not called up you feel like you have suffered an injustice, but I made my decisions on merit. I’d like to see who could have been called up instead of Antonio Di Natale and Sebastian Giovinco (…) Six attackers are what I need for the way we will play. (…)"

"We evaluated which players could give us 100% in terms of the team overall. Those left out were so for tactical reasons. Today there is no longer a static player in attack. Mario Balotelli can be used in that role, but also on the flanks. It’s the same for Di Natale and Giovinco who have scored a lot without being a reference point for defenders."

"CASSANO did all that he could to be here and he’s made it. He’s shown that he loves this shirt. I prefer to have enthusiastic players in the squad. BALOTELLI hasn’t played that much recently, but he’s won a title with Manchester City and is one of the emerging talents that we have to help explode."

"There are a lot of reasons why we thought about VERRATTI. The first are his qualities, which have also been seen in the Under-21s. I want to continue that work, also as a back-up to Andrea Pirlo. We also wanted to make it clear that we are following players in Serie B. I also wanted to call him up to demonstrate that there is a clear technical project in place here."

"GIACCHERINI is a player who can be used in three positions and I hope he can be useful. Pepe is an important player for teams who get to the byline and cross, but we play a different type of game."

"DESTRO is not a classical central striker, he’s a modern attacker. I want to see him play for a place. I want him to work hard on a daily basis to prove that he deserves to be here."

"DIAMANTI demonstrated to have tactical versatility and to be a consistent performer. He can play as an added striker, trequartista, or inside midfielder. He can bring quality: the call-up wasn’t a gift, he deserved it."


"We don’t have a lot of time. We’ll try a few things out, but the base will be the formation that we used in qualifying. There is a nucleus in midfield that is there to create. I want to pick a team that plays fluid football. Pirlo will be a reference point but we will also develop alternative keys to the game. The important thing now is to find some balance within the side, the pitch will give us an answer. We might also try a three-man defense, but mostly overall I like to play with an extra midfielder."


"I don’t have a minimum objective. Every coach thinks about getting right to the end. From next Monday we’ll start work on the pitch with the intention of winning."


"When I first arrived I was criticized for picking so many Juventus players, but their Scudetto victory proved me right. Juventus are the only Italian club who focus strongly on young Italians." ~ OMG he said what we're all thinking!

"I’ve always said that I want to respect my contract until after the 2014 World Cup, however it will depend on what happens at the European Championship."

If we are to unleash the fury this summer in Poland-Ukraine; who are we going to unleash the fury with. 

Tell us who your final squad will contain; and how your starting line-up will look like for our kick-off against Spain in a couple of weeks time!