Mario Balotelli

“When I wasn't famous, I had a lot of friends, almost all of them Italian. The racism only started when I started to play football.”

“Even if I don't always behave as I should, this still doesn't explain why so many people have something against me. But you know how it is. A lot of people vent themselves by coming to the stadium to yell at me. I hope it's not racism. I tell myself that it's not racism; it's because I'm tough, and I repeat this to myself.”