Mario Balotellireceived a one game ban and a fine of 25,000 pounds after being found guilty of breaching English FA for a controversial post on his Instagram account that showed the Nintendovideo game character Super Mario accompanied by racist and discriminatory language. The ban, which was accepted Friday by Liverpool, the striker’s club, will take immediate effect, meaning theItalian will miss the Reds’ Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday.
“Following the recent events related to my ‘Super Mario’ post, the FA decision has made clear thatit was wrong,” Balotelli wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday night. “I am sorry that my teammates and supporters of Liverpool FC have to be penalized for something I did and now cometo regret. It is my intention to comply with the decision of the FA and make sure it never happens again.”
