The striker returned to the pitch to score a cracking goal
Brescia striker Mario Balotelli walked off the field during a Serie A fixture between Brescia and Hellas Verona after being subject to racial abuse.
Balotelli was dribbling towards the corner flag in the 54th minute where jeers and monkey chants could be heard before the former Manchester City striker picked up the ball and booted it into the stands.
Play was stopped for several minutes as both sets of players tried to console Balotelli before an announcement was read over the PA directed towards the racist supporters.
Mario Balotelli responded to the racist chants by kicking the ball into the stands.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 3, 2019
His teammates and match officials convinced the striker to remain on the pitch. pic.twitter.com/vvzuY7oBHZ
Balotelli returned to the field to score a brilliant shot from outside the box in the dying moments of the game, as the fixture finished 2-1 in favour of Verona.
54': Mario Balotelli punts ball into the stands and tries to leave the field after facing racial abuse from Hellas Verona fans.
— London's Finest (@LondonsFinestQU) November 3, 2019
85': Balotelli scores this beauty of a goal right in front of the fans that were taunting him.#VeronaBrescia
(🎥: @beINSPORTS) pic.twitter.com/rL9Rm6MfOc
Verona manager Ivan Juric denied hearing any racist chanting.
Juric told Sky Sport Italia: "I am not afraid to say there were no racist chants today."
"They might have jeered and mocked the great player, but there was nothing there, you can ask him, there was nothing there.
"I am disgusted by racist abuse and I will be the first to condemn it when it happens, but this was not it.
"They provoked him with jeers and sarcastic chants, but they were not racist. Anything else is a lie."
This was the second time within the weekend that a Serie A game was suspended with the fixture between Napoli and Roma was stopped for anti-territorial slurs towards Napoli.