OGC Nice topped Ligue 1 at Christmas but they are starting to slip a little bit. Yesterday they traveled to Bastia, with eccentric striker Mario Balotelli leading the line. He's been Nice's top scorer so far this season with eight goals in just ten appearances.
Unfortunately, there were some ugly scenes before and during the game. Balotelli was the target of racist abuse, posting the following on his Instagram immediately after the match
Is it normal that Bastia supporters make monkey noise end "uh uh" for the whole game and no one of the "commissions discipline " say nothing? So is racism LEGAL in France? Or only in Bastia ?
Football is an amazing sport .. those people like Bastia supporters make it horrible !
He's called on the disciplinary committees to do something about, and now there's video evidence of the 26-year old being abused during the warm up. Monkey chants, banners and plenty of shouting.
Balotelli getting racially abused pre-match. 2017 and racism still exists. No player deserves this. Vile fanbase. pic.twitter.com/zmxIeqoLB9
— Kloppholic (@Kloppholic) January 22, 2017
It's 2017. There isn't a place for racism in sport and hasn't been for a couple of decades. Surely, FIFA should be able to clamp down on the fans or indeed Bastia now that there's substantial video proof of the chants.
Nice could be second by this afternoon as Monaco only sit a point off them before their game against Lorient. Nice and Monaco meet in Stade Louis II on the 4th of February.
Balotelli is likely to start. Here's hoping that this kind of behaviour is clamped down on before then.
