{"id":70716,"date":"2014-12-02T17:47:54","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T17:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=70716"},"modified":"2014-12-02T17:47:54","modified_gmt":"2014-12-02T17:47:54","slug":"balotelli-sorry-super-mario-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/12\/balotelli-sorry-super-mario-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Balotelli sorry for ‘Super Mario’ post"},"content":{"rendered":"
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has apologised for a post on social media which appeared to contain anti-Semitic and racist references.<\/p>\n
Balotelli, 24, quickly deleted the post from his Instagram page of Nintendo computer game character Super Mario.<\/p>\n
Before his apology, the Italian had tweeted to deny the text of the post was offensive.<\/p>\n
The Football Association has asked Balotelli for his observations and given him until 18:00 GMT on Friday to respond, while Liverpool say they will speak to the player.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for anti-discrimination group Kick It Out told BBC Sport: “Kick It Out has been made aware of Mario Balotelli’s Instagram post by a Twitter user and has now forwarded it on to the FA to look into the matter.”<\/p>\n
The picture posted had an image of Super Mario with the heading “Don’t be a racist!”<\/p>\n
The text read: “Be like Mario, he’s an Italian plumber, created by Japanese people, who speaks English and looks like a Mexican.”<\/p>\n
It finished: “He jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew.”<\/p>\n
Responding to criticism on Twitter, Balotelli tweeted: “My Mom is Jewish so all of you shut up please.”<\/p>\n
He also described reposting the image as “my unlucky moment”.<\/p>\n
However, he later wrote: “I apologise if I’ve offended anyone.<\/p>\n
“The post was meant to be anti-racist with humour. I now understand that out of context it may have the opposite effect.<\/p>\n
“Not all Mexicans have a moustache, not all black people jump high and not all Jewish people love money.<\/p>\n
“I used a cartoon done by somebody else because it has Super Mario and I thought it was funny and not offensive. Again, I’m sorry.”<\/p>\n
A Liverpool spokesman told BBC Sport: “We are aware of the posting which has since been promptly deleted by the player. We will be speaking to the player about the issue.”<\/p>\n
Jewish Leadership Council chief executive Simon Johnson, a former FA executive, said Balotelli should face action.<\/p>\n
“We abhor all forms of racism, wherever it is found,” Johnson told the Daily Telegraph.<\/span>