MARIO BALOTELLI is at the centre of a race row after Italy�s biggest-selling paper depicted him as KING KONG. The Manchester City striker played in the Italians� Euro 2012 win over England on Sunday.
That morning�s Gazzetta dello Sport published a drawing of Balotelli atop Big Ben, based on the film scene of King Kong climbing New York�s Empire State Building.
It clumsily expressed cartoonist Valerio Marini�s opinion that Balotelli had dominated England. But hundreds of angry readers protested that it was racist towards Balotelli, whose parents were born in Ghana, and Gazzetta was forced into a grovelling apology.
Anti-racism group Kick It Out said: �Mario�s very presence in the Italian team is symbolic on so many levels. �The Italian media ought to champion this individual rather than singling him out as a scapegoat and somehow inferior to his international team-mates.�
Milan-based Gazzetta admitted: �We need a bit more moderation, caution and good taste.�
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