Soccer Star Mario Balotelli Sorry for Anti-Semitic Instagram Post
British soccer player Mario Balotelli, who grew up the foster son of a Jewish mother, apologized for a racist and anti-Semitic post on his Instagram page.
Balotelli apologized on Tuesday on Twitter for the post, which features a photo of Nintendo computer game character Super Mario and reads, in part, that the character “jumps like a Black man and grabs coins like a Jew.”
Balotelli, 24, the son of immigrants from Ghana, who plays for the Liverpool soccer team, is nicknamed Super Mario.
The player also was notified that he is being investigated by Britain’s Football Association, under the governing body’s strict anti-racism rules. He has until Friday to offer his explanation of the use of the post.
Balotelli’s apology tweeted Tuesday said, in part: “I apologize if I’ve offended anyone. The post was meant to be anti-racist with humor. I now understand that out of context it may have the opposite effect.
The rest of the Super Mario post reads: “Don’t be racist. Be like Mario. He’s an Italian plumber, created by Japanese people, who speaks English and looks like a Mexican.”
On Monday, following criticism of the post, Balotelli responded with a tweet that said: “My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please,”
Jewish leaders in Britain criticized the Super Mario post as anti-Semitic and racist.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.