And rightly so.
Mario Balotelli has suffered from racist abuse throughout the vast majority of his career, whether in Italy or France, and to a much lesser extent England.
A month ago, while playing for OGC Nice away to Dijon, Balotelli informed the referee Nicolas Rainville that one section of the home support had been racially abusing him from the stands. The referee responded by brandishing a yellow card.
The decision was baffling and worrying in equal measure, but thankfully, it has been reversed. The LFP, which oversees the top two leagues in French football, withdrew the caution after an investigation.
No action will be taken against Dijon as the club cannot take responsibility for their fans’ behaviour, according to the LFP.
Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination body, were “shocked” by the lack of action taken against Dijon.
“It is unacceptable and wrong to see that once again a match official has failed to apply the Uefa protocol – in place for a number of years – which requires action to be taken to stop the game to deal with the offending abuse,” it added.
Football Against Racism in Europe, another anti-discrimination body were also appalled at the LFP’s decision not to take action against Dijon. “The French league is one of the most diverse in Europe so one would expect referees to understand and act seriously after players complain about racism,” said FARE.
Thankfully, Balotelli’s yellow card has been rescinded. But clearly, there is a long way to go in the fight against racism in football.
