Balotelli praised for reacting to racist Italy fans’ banner

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ST. GALLEN, Switzerland (AP) Mario Balotelli has been praised by anti-racism campaigners for highlighting an offensive banner displayed by fans at his comeback game for Italy.

Anti-discrimination group Fare wrote on Twitter: ''Well done to Mario Balotelli . standing up to racism in Italian football once again.''

The slogan ''My captain is of Italian blood'' in Italian was draped on a pitch-side wall during Italy's 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in Switzerland.

Balotelli scored the opening goal with a powerful shot in his first national-team game since the 2014 World Cup.

On his Instagram account, Balotelli posted an image of the banner, adding his own message: ''We are in 2018 guys. Wake up!''

Fare, which stood for ''Football Against Racism in Europe,'' is now a global organization. It has long worked with UEFA, and will help FIFA monitor discrimination at World Cup games in Russia.