There’s a lot of downright shameful things people say to one another — or people they don’t even know — and try to pass it off as “banter”, but following Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli’s rather lighthearted tweet regarding Manchester United’s shock loss to Leicester City yesterday, the torrent of abuse hurled at the 24-year old certainly did not qualify under any stretch of the imagination.
Now, it looks like at least some of the neanderthals that thought it fit to racially abuse the Italian over an off-handed remark about a football could be talking over their foul mouths after a number of social media users alerted anti-discrimination group Kick It Out, who in turn contacted the police. Suffice it to say that this particular matter will not be taken lightly.
“We extend our support to Mario Balotelli after the appalling racist abuse directed at him on Twitter earlier today. A large number of social media users alerted us to the messages by tweeting our official account and we have since reported this via True Vision – the police’s online reporting facility” a spokesperson for the watch-dog said. “During the 2013-14 season, 50% of all complaints submitted to us from across the game related to social media abuse. The issue has been escalating and we urge fellow social media users to assist in bringing this type of abuse to the attention of the authorities by reporting directly to True Vision.”
The growing popularity of social media has brought players even closer to the general public to effects both positive and negative. Although this particular incident certainly fell into the latter of the two, something good may yet come of it with the authorities confirming that the matter is being investigated. “We can confirm officers are looking into offensive comments made on Twitter about Mario Balotelli earlier today” said Merseyside police.
