How racism robs Italians of appreciating Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli is many things:

A brilliant — if inconsistent and often temperamental — striker capable of the sublime that many other players can only dream of.

A lightning rod for criticism when his club side, AC Milan, doesn’t perform up to the standards befitting a team with the rich history they boast — regardless of the fact that his 30 goals have often gifted his team improbable victories since his celebrated move to the San Siro in January of 2013.

The man on whom Italy’s chances of tasting success at the 2014 World Cup are so deeply dependent.

But, with terrifying frequency, something much more simplistic continues to be the focus of his countrymen.

Mario Balotelli is black.

It’s a fact that the most disgusting of human beings use as a source of mockery, as though being black, in and of itself, is something for which the superstar should feel shame.

It’s the kind of thing that makes you lose faith in humanity.

Racism, a fabric of the country?

Balotelli, born in Italy to Ghanaian immigrants, was adopted by a white couple when he was just three years old. He grew up in a small town named Concesio, roughly two hours from Milan, in the province of Brescia.

As outlined in this fascinating piece by Wright Thompson, the former Manchester City man is at the center of a debilitating problem that is rife in Italian society:

Balotelli's mere presence in Italy has caused a long festering sore to rupture, bringing hidden rot into the light. A nation has projected its hopes, and its fears, on him, a strain that shows on his face…

The region of Brescia famously doesn't like outsiders and votes for the Lega Nord. An old underground cartoon sums up the local attitude. It shows a deep trench at the edge of Northern Italy, with a clear message: Let's get rid of the Africans.

In Europe, soccer stadiums have all too often acted as a home for racist behaviour. Italy is no exception. The one place where Balotelli has felt at home his entire life has often devolved into a platform for mind-boggling, unexplainable hatred.

Wednesday was just the latest example.

For what seems like the umpteenth time in a series of despicable incidents that show no real sign of slowing down, Balotelli was subjected to racist taunting by people (in the lowest form of the word) watching an open practice session at Italy’s World Cup training base in Coverciano (near Florence).

Police were called to deal with the guilty parties, some of his teammates made statements about the need for change, and almost every media outlet (this one included) ran a story on the incident.

And then we all moved on.

It was terrible, to be sure, but at this point, it is no longer surprising. That which no longer shocks us is relegated to the back pages of our consciousness, and will remain there until another player, likely Balotelli once again, is the subject of further torment.

The Italian contradiction

It’s easy to ask the striker, still only a kid at 23 years of age, to ignore those sentiments. The incessant monkey chants, the rehearsed taunts hurled at him from opposing fans during both home and away matches.

Shut them up with your play, let your football do the talking. Get the last laugh by scoring goals and winning matches.

It’s so simple. Put on a brave face. Shield your feelings. Wear a scowl if you must — as the domineering attacker often does — but don’t allow anything to break your focus on the pitch.

It’s a grotesquely unfair request, but something that will be expected of him next month in Brazil, when millions of Italians cheer his every move. They will live and die with everything he does while wearing the famous Azzurri kit. He will be a national hero if Italy claim a fifth World Cup title.

But there will always be that caveat.

Mario Balotelli is a black Italian.

It’s one of the many things that defines him as a person. It’s one of the many things of which he should be proud.

Unfortunately, it's the one fact that continues to be lost on a country that remains unsure if they want to embrace him as one of their own.