Balotelli thanks support after being racially abused at Verona

Mario Balotelli on Sunday thanked his fellow players and supporters for ir support after he was racially abused by Hellas Verona fans, latest in a series of ugly incidents that have blighted early weeks of Serie A season.

Mario Balotelli extended gratitude to his fans 

Brescia striker Balotelli scored in a 2-1 Serie A defeat at Verona that leaves his hometown side in relegation zone, but his performance was overshadowed by his fury at Verona's torious supporters, who have a long track record of far-right politics and open racism. Despite denials of abuse from Verona, a video published on Twitter by a fan showed a number of supporters clearly directing monkey chants at Balotelli before Italy international booted ball at m in stands.

29-year-old, who was born in Palermo to Ghanaian parents but was raised just outside Brescia, n had to be held back by players from both teams to stop him from leaving field of play. "Thanks to all colleagues on and off field for solidarity expressed toward me and all of messs received from your fans," Balotelli wrote in a mess on Instagram alongside a video of incident. "A heartfelt thanks. You're real men, t like those who deny evidence."

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Coach denies any discriminatory remarks 

Verona coach Ivan Juric had earlier told Sky Sport that he heard " racists chants, thing at all" after a win that lifts his side to ninth, adding that "to say orwise is a lie". club's president Maurizio Setti n said that his club's supporters were "light-hearted, t racist" and were a crowd with "real sport in its DNA". "We are first to condemn racism but it is wrong to generalize... Maybe two or three people among 20,000 fans might have said something," he said to Sky.

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Mario Balotelli faces racial discrimination

match was suspended for a few minutes around hour mark as Balotelli tried to force himself from field before a mess was read out on stadium loudspeaker threatening that both teams would leave field if re was a repeat of any abuse, a mess that was whistled loudly by a large number of home fans.

Balotelli's nt Mi Raiola told AFP he was backing his player, saying that he was "against all forms of racism." Italy coach Roberto Mancini, who mand Balotelli at Inter Milan and Manchester City, said that Italy "needs to work toger to ensure that this sort of intolerance doesn't repeat itself".

A number of black players have been racially abused by supporters in Italy in opening weeks of season, with Milan midfielder Franck Kessie targeted by Verona fans in September and Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku abused at Cagliari, also serial offenders. Later Sunday, Brescia said y had sacked ir 49-year-old coach Eugenio Corini. "Brescia Calcio club anunces dismissal of coach Eugenio Corini," said a club statement.

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Elsewhere Balotelli's former club AC Milan continued ir mediocre season with a 2-1 defeat to Lazio that left seven-time European champions languishing in 11th, level on 13 points with Udinese.

Ciro Immobile's 100th Lazio goal and Joaquin Correa's strike seven minutes from end gave Lazio ir first win away at Milan in 30 years, which puts m fourth.

Serie A top scorer Immobile's bullet header in first half takes him to an astonishing 13 goals in 11 appearances. Simone Inzaghi's side are level on 21 points with surprise pack Cagliari and Atalanta after Sardinian side saw off 10-man Bergamo-based outfit 2-0 earlier. Both sides are a point behind Roma, who stayed third following ir 2-1 win over Napoli on Saturday which extends ir unbeaten run in league to six games despite a weeks-long injury crisis.

Paulo Fonseca's team remain seven points behind league leaders Juventus, who stay top thanks to Matthijs de Ligt's derby winner in ir 1-0 triumph at Tori on Saturday.

Dutch international's first Juve goal since arriving from Ajax in summer kept Inter Milan at bay by a single point despite Romelu Lukaku's brace sealing a late 2-1 win at Bologna and taking Belgian's Serie A tally to nine in 11 games.

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