Verona 2-1 AC Milan: When arrogance is not bliss

Mario Balotelli looked dejected after the Serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and AC Milan at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on August 24, 2013 in Verona, Italy. (Getty Images)

Influential people should have a better foresight of consequences their apparent statements could have before commenting on issues that they do not understand.

Some of them are fascinated by something they deem different. And then they tend to drift behind everything that is there.

However, arrogant/ignorant statements could become devastating when politicians are not competent in the topic of the issue that is being raised.

This is what happened yesterday as Hellas Verona beat Italian giants AC Mila, courtesy a brace from veteran Italian striker Luca Toni.

As players from Milan are scandalously known to be targets of racist abuse, there were fears that that the Stadio Bentigodi would target Mario Balotelli for the same.

Knowing that, the Mayor of Verona and a member of the far-right Lega Nord party – Flavio Tosi, instead of lightening up the mood prior to the game, went on to criticise Balotelli saying:

“If Balotelli provoked people a bit less, then it would be even better. There are many black players, but not all of them stoke the fire of the opposition fans. Most have no problems. Balotelli is very good at making himself unlikeable.”

His unnecessary comments would drive the fans to attack the Ghanaian born Italian in any manner possible. And the Verona fans were determined to send a message across to Balotelli and hence, started to sarcastically cheer him every time he touched the ball. Even to a point, where opposing fans started throwing chairs at each other.

And so could this be a new form of racially abusing individuals without really abusing them?

This could have been a lot worse because of the level of arrogance displayed by the mayor, but fortunately the people behaved in a sane manner.