Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is a big proponent of using Instagram to connect with fans, but he may have taken things a little too far on the social media site this week.
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Balotelli apologized this week for a recent photo post that many of his followers would deem inappropriate at best and downright offensive at worst.
[Disclaimer: potentially offensive language to follow]
The Instagram post featured a photo of Mario the plumber from Nintendo's popular Super Mario Bros. game series, as well as an accompanying caption that stated: "Don't be racist! Be like Mario, he’s an Italian plumber, created by Japanese people, who speaks English and looks like a Mexican. He jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew.”
The backlash towards Balotelli was practically instantaneous. At first Balotelli rebuffed it, tweeting his critics that "My mom is Jewish so all of you shut up please." However, he later softened his stance and sought penance.
"I apologize if I've offended anyone," Balotelli said, per the BBC. "I used a cartoon done by somebody else because it has Super Mario and I thought it was funny and not offensive. Again, I'm sorry." Balotelli also referred to the incident as an "unlucky moment."
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"We are aware of the posting which has since been promptly deleted by the player. We will be speaking to the player about the issue," said a Liverpool PR rep.
Even with an apology, Balotelli isn't out of the weeds just yet. The UK's Football Association is investigating the post, and the 24-year-old Italian could face a multi-game suspension for violating the organization's social media guidelines.
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