Mario Balotelli – footballer who challenges the Italian government

”What does it mean to be Italian? How is the country better? Exist racism?”

The one who asks the questions is footballer Mario Balotelli.

On their Instagramstories on 17 August last year, Balotelli's through a live broadcast from the newly elected home - and vice prime minister Matteo Salvini. Salvini held a meeting for colleagues in the right-wing populist Lega, and sent as so often directly on Instagram from there.

”I'll be honest... I have seen the entire broadcast from @matteosalviniofficial where he also says things that are right and on subjects where I agree with you. But I would like you to comment on the comments...,” wrote Balotelli to their followers.

he had been dying under racist and fascist comments, some very coarse, from the people who looked at the transmission and sent messages such as synthesis in real-time. He masked their names.

”Italy for the italians”, ”kill the migrants”, ”svartskjortorna shall prevail”, ”send home svartingarna”, were some of the comments that Balotelli identified.

”The Italian people, not all but some, think they so that the people who write these comments? I don't want to believe it... this can't be the country that I have prayed for and hoped to get to play in and represent since I was a child. It can not be composed of such persons,” wrote Balotelli.

It is time that Italy will become like many other countries, and integrate people coming from outside.

After having gone goalless in seven months and has not shown any great enthusiasm in his former club Nice, where he played in obscurity the last few years, the club signed Mario Balotelli to Marseille in January. In the seven games he has made five goals. The fans have begun to cheer in the stands again after having kept the tifo-strike against the team's pale performance.

the short Virage Nord have Balotelli already got a chant, to the tune of the Italian national anthem.

" When I came, I saw that everyone was a bit sad, now it is different. I have changed on it. I'm not saying that we are happy, but all playing in the locker room now, " says Balotelli in an interview with La Provence.

relying on an unpredictable player like Mario Balotelli in order to save themselves from a crisis has worked so far for it may be just as unstable Olympique Marseille. IF the climb in the table, third place is within reach, and on Sunday, the team to Paris for the classic encounter against Paris Saint-Germain.

' Why always me?” One of Mario Balotelli's most famous moments. Photo: Jon Super/AP

Mario Balotelli says he recognize himself in both the city and the club.

– of Course, I said it before I came. I felt it, it is something that is difficult to explain. It is a bit like Naples here. I have said before that the only Italian team I would be able to play in is the Napoli.

an athletically goal against Saint-Étienne, he had his phone ready behind kortlinjen, and made an Instagram-story of the celebration with lagkamraterna. It was a world first.

in 2011, he scored goals in the manchester derby, exposing his undershirt, and the words ”why always me?”. When he put the 2-0 against Germany in the european CHAMPIONSHIP semi-final in 2012, he pulled off his shirt and flexed the muscles in a serious pose. This time the celebration was instead filled with joy.

https://twitter.com/OM_English/status/1102560977923571712

Around the same time as the new Italian government took office at the end of may last year, made Mario Balotelli a comeback in the national team after four years. He held off the team that lost to Sweden, and failed to reach the world CUP for the first time in 60 years, but Balotelli has a long played. Therefore, he became direct up to date as captain of the team, because the role of the Italian national team goes to the player with the most appearances behind him, and Balotelli had the second-highest.

in June, a banner in the stands: ”My captain has Italian blood.”

" It is time that Italy will become like many other countries, and integrating people who come from abroad, like France and England do. For me it would not change so much to be captain. But perhaps it would send a signal for all immigrants who come to Italy and see the one that I, with african roots, to become captain of the national team, " said Balotelli in a press conference at the national team test.

Prime minister Matteo Salvini commented on the possibility that Balotelli could get kaptensbindeln.

" I hope that the coach does not select the team captain of the sociological, philosophical or anthropological reasons, but because it is a guy who unites the group, is humble and playing well. Balotelli maybe the will surprise me, but through the years, I do not think that he has emerged as a humble person who can get everyone to pull in the same direction, said the minister in a radio interview.

recently, to be prosecuted for that, in ten days to have prevented one of Italy's own sidekick to add to a port in Sicily, because the 150 shipwrecked migrants from Africa was on board. He escaped prosecution when the Lega and regeringspartnern Femstjärnerörelsen voted that he would get immunity.

”Italy for italians” and ”stop the invasion”, two of the Salvinis main valslogans. The Lega, which started as a separatistiskt party that wanted to the North would be separated from the South, during the Salvinis management changed its name from the original northern league and instead become a nationalist.

That is not considered to be Italian until I was 18 years were the worst in my life.

the Party went from 4 per cent in the last election to 17 per cent of the votes in the parliamentary elections last spring, but then Salvini took over as minister, his popularity increased even more. The minister is ever-present in social media, and dominate the total debate. Over 30% now report that they would vote for the Lega, which, thus, is Italy's largest party in the polls.

the nickname of the ”Capitano”, the captain, for Salvini.

During the government's first days was Mario Balotelli direct one of its main public sparringpartners.

Balotelli criticised the legislation, which have been under discussion during the election campaign, which means that it is very difficult for children and young people with immigrant parents to obtain Italian citizenship. The results of the election meant that the center-vänsterpartiernas attempt to introduce what's been called ”ius soli” and would make citizenship easier, was impossible.

Balotelli himself, who was born in Palermo of immigrant parents from Ghana, and grew up in a northern Italian foster family, could become a citizen only when he turned 18. And thus represent the national team first then.

I was born in Italy, I lived in Italy, I went to school in Italy, and that is not considered to be Italian until I was 18 years were the worst in my life, " he said, and argued that the law should be amended.

in sarcastically in social media.

”Dear Mario, ’ius soli’ is neither my or their priority. Good luck with the job, and make sure to have fun when you play ball.”

https://twitter.com/matteosalvinimi/status/1003972945134354432

Then a man with a past in the Lega shot at black people on the street in Macerata, one year ago, has many more racist attacks reported in the Italian media. Two people have been killed with a suspected racist motive, but if an increase has occurred or not is difficult to establish. Some believe that the Salvinis rhetoric has fired on the racism in Italy. Second, as Femstjärnerörelsens founder, Beppe Grillo, says that racism only exists in ”media”.

Mario Balotelli was never the captain of the team. The questioning of him was one of the things he brought up in his review of Salvinis Instagramföljare.

”Excuse to not be a well-behaved and respectful person dies here. This is the reason why it would upset many to see a black captain for the Italian national team,” he wrote.

the 28-year-old ended up outside the national team again, but when he did scored the only goal against his former club Nice on Sunday set national coach Roberto Mancini in the stands. On Friday he presents his EM-kvaltrupp.

Mario Balotelli set to play rock-paper-scissors with teammate Florian Thauvin after a goal. Photo: Anthony Bibard/IBL

La Provence ask Balotelli if he wants to return to the national team.

" For me is the national team most important of all.

In the meantime, Balotelli most have fun. After the goal he sat down on the pitch and played rock-paper-scissors with teammate Florian Thauvin.

Mohamed grew up in Italy can not become a citizen