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Former Leeds United owner Cellino in Balotelli race controversy

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Writer: Joe Baker

Former Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has come under severe scrutiny after subjecting his own striker, Mario Balotelli to a racist slur.

The controversial Italian, now president of Serie A side Brescia, where ex-Manchester City and Liverpool striker Balotelli plies his trade, said in a news conference earlier this week:

“What can I say? That he’s black and he’s working to whiten himself but he has great difficulties in this.”

The club defended Cellino saying the comments were “misunderstood” after the player was racially abused by Verona supporters on 3rd November and Cellino has dismissed the criticism, saying:

“Who’s calling me a racist? … I don’t have to excuse myself from something that I don’t believe in.”

Others have pointed to an attempted wordplay on ‘black’, which is often used in Italian to imply someone is angry.

Cellino has a history of controversy, particularly in English football where he received a suspension in 2017 by the Football Association for breaking agent regulations.

These latest comments the 63 year-old have made, come after a catalogue of incidents in the country, particularly involving Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, with claims of abuse against Cagliari in September, and a football pundit’s sacking for saying the only way to stop him is to “give him 10 banana’s to eat.”

Brescia currently lie bottom of the league table on seven points.

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