Mario Balotelli charged after an infamous social media post that he claimed was "anti-racist with humor." His Instagram post was immediately taken down and the soccer star offered his apology via Twitter.
The FA released a statement via CNN that said, "Mario Balotelli has been charged by the FA in relation to a recent posting on social media."
According to the statement, the popular Liverpool player allegedly breached one of the FA's rule, specifically Rule E3 [1], that indicates his posting was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper. It was also "further alleged that this is an 'Aggravated Breach" as defined by FA Rule E3 [2] as it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or color and/or race and/or nationality and/or religion or belief."
Moreover, it would appear that Mario Balotelli charged has until 6:00 p.m. of December 15 this year to respond to his charges. Most likely, he will be facing a disciplinary hearing as a result of these charges. He could potentially be facing a ban because of what he posted on social media.
Still, despite the current threats that the Football Association might punish the Italian striker in addition to his relatively problematic start with the club, Liverpool does not expect Mario Balotelli charged to leave Anfield by January of next year.
He is presently facing a highly possible ban for two matches, and, most likely, an additional fine, because of the image he posed on Instagram. His social media post involved the popular Nintendo character, specifically Super Mario, which prompted accusations of anti-Semitism and racism.
He attracted criticism for reposting an image that had statements, such as "jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew." He immediately deleted what he posted, as well as posted on another social media website, in his defense, that he was not anti-Semitic nor a racist. He even pointed out that his foster mother was actually Jewish.
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