Verona manager and president say Brescia striker Mario Balotelli did not suffer racial abuse in Serie A clash

Balotelli, who joined boyhood club Brescia in the summer, picked the ball up and booted it into the crowd in the 54th minute after being subjected to monkey chants from Verona fans.

He was convinced to stay on the pitch by team-mates, Verona players and officials before referee Maurizio Mariani initiated the anti-racism protocol.

The game was temporarily suspended while a message was read out by the stadium announcer warning that the match would be abandoned if further racial abuse occurred.

Verona won the game 2-1 with Balotelli scoring a late consolation goal.

Despite the audible monkey chants, Verona boss Ivan Juric believes fans were only ‘teasing’ a ‘great player’.

He said: “I’m not afraid to say, today there was nothing.

“Lots of whistling and teasing against a great player, but there was nothing else.

“I have also taken so many insults over the years, I know what it means, but today there has been nothing.

“On the reason of the reaction you have to ask him. When there is racism, I will have no problem saying so because it sucks, even if it comes from my fans.

“But today I heard nothing. We don’t create a case where there isn’t, it would be a lie.”

Verona president Maurizio Setti backed up Juric’s comments, saying the club’s fans were ‘absolutely not racist’.

He said: “It is wrong to generalise, speaking of racist choirs and fans.

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