‘Nothing has changed’ – Kevin-Prince Boateng says after Balotelli is racially-abused

Ghanaian international, Kevin-Prince Boateng has said that despite constant reports of racism at football grounds in Italy, he does not intend to give up the fight.

Boateng tweeted a video of the infamous incident in 2013 when he grabbed the ball, kicked it into the stands and walked off the pitch after suffering racist abuse while playing for AC Milan in a friendly match against lower league side, Pro Patria.

“6 years later NOTHING has changed but we don’t give up! Let’s keep fighting ALL TOGETHER against racism!,” he tweeted.

The incident came under a global spotlight with criticism levelled at Italian football authorities for failing to curb rampant racism in the Serie A and the country’s lower divisions.

In a bid to address the matter, FIFA, which has itself come up for a lot of flak for not putting stricter measures in place to deal with racism set up a taskforce.

However six years down the line, racism remains a major issue across Europe and particularly in Italian football.

6 years later NOTHING has changed but we don’t give up! Let’s keep fighting ALL TOGHETER against racism! #NOTORACISM #prince10 #handmade pic.twitter.com/fXil7X2U3f

— Kevin-Prince Boateng (@KPBofficial) November 4, 2019

‘Shame on you’

Boateng’s post comes after Italy international, Mario Balotelli, suffered racist abuse over the weekend as his side Brescia lost 2-1 to Verona in the Serie A.

The forward kicked a ball into the crowd and almost walked off the pitch but he was eventually convinced to complete the game by his teammates.

He responded by scoring Brescia’s only goal of the game, a stunner, late on.

After the game, Balotelli thanked his teammates and fans who supported him and aimed a slight jab at Italian football authorities for their failure to clamp down on racism.

“Thanks to all the colleagues on and off the field for the solidarity expressed toward me and all of the messages received from you fans. A heartfelt thanks. You’ve shown yourself to be real men, not like those who deny the evidence.”

Balotelli posted a video of some Verona fans making monkey chants, stating that they should be ashamed of themselves.

“The ‘people’ of this curva who made the monkey chants. Shame on you, shame on you, shame on you. In front of your children, wives, relatives, parents, friends and acquaintances…. shame.”

Mario Balotelli responded to the racist chants by kicking the ball into the stands.

His teammates and match officials convinced the striker to remain on the pitch. pic.twitter.com/vvzuY7oBHZ