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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Berlusconi brother sparks fury over Balotelli remark | Berlusconi brother sparks fury over Balotelli remark |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Silvio Berlusconi's brother has been accused of gross racial insensitivity after making a pejorative remark about Mario Balotelli just days after the football striker's return home from Britain. | Silvio Berlusconi's brother has been accused of gross racial insensitivity after making a pejorative remark about Mario Balotelli just days after the football striker's return home from Britain. |
| Speaking at an event held by his brother's centre-right Freedom People party (PDL), Paolo Berlusconi sparked laughter from his audience when he referred to AC Milan's latest signing as a negretto – a word that literally means "little nigger" or "little negro", but is better translated as "little black boy". | Speaking at an event held by his brother's centre-right Freedom People party (PDL), Paolo Berlusconi sparked laughter from his audience when he referred to AC Milan's latest signing as a negretto – a word that literally means "little nigger" or "little negro", but is better translated as "little black boy". |
| "And now let's go and watch the little black boy of the family, the hot head," said Paolo Berlusconi who, as well as a newspaper owner, is vice-president of AC Milan, the football club owned by his elder brother. "All the young ladies are invited as well – you can even have a chance to meet the president," he added. | "And now let's go and watch the little black boy of the family, the hot head," said Paolo Berlusconi who, as well as a newspaper owner, is vice-president of AC Milan, the football club owned by his elder brother. "All the young ladies are invited as well – you can even have a chance to meet the president," he added. |
| The remark, made on Sunday night before Balotelli's debut match against Udinese, went largely unnoticed in Italy until Wednesday, when a video of it went viral and attracted many angry comments. | The remark, made on Sunday night before Balotelli's debut match against Udinese, went largely unnoticed in Italy until Wednesday, when a video of it went viral and attracted many angry comments. |
| Piara Powar, executive director of the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, said the comments were "an outrage" that should not be laughed off. | Piara Powar, executive director of the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, said the comments were "an outrage" that should not be laughed off. |
| "I think these comments do reflect the fact that Italian society is changing very rapidly in some parts, but attitudes haven't moved along with that," he said, adding: "Regardless of the societal context of different European countries, these comments are an outrage and there's no place for them either in football or outside football." | "I think these comments do reflect the fact that Italian society is changing very rapidly in some parts, but attitudes haven't moved along with that," he said, adding: "Regardless of the societal context of different European countries, these comments are an outrage and there's no place for them either in football or outside football." |
| The controversy comes just weeks after the elder Berlusconi backed his players after they walked off the pitch in protest against racist jeers directed at midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, saying the team would do the same again if any player was made to suffer such jibes. Balotelli, who was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents and was fostered by an Italian family, has often been the target of racist chants and comments from Italian fans. | The controversy comes just weeks after the elder Berlusconi backed his players after they walked off the pitch in protest against racist jeers directed at midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, saying the team would do the same again if any player was made to suffer such jibes. Balotelli, who was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents and was fostered by an Italian family, has often been the target of racist chants and comments from Italian fans. |
| The former Manchester City star returned to Italy last month in a high-profile transfer deal that sparked widespread speculation that Silvio Berlusconi was hoping for a "Balotelli bounce". The former prime minister has denied that that was his motive but, according to one estimate, the move could have won him around 400,000 votes. | The former Manchester City star returned to Italy last month in a high-profile transfer deal that sparked widespread speculation that Silvio Berlusconi was hoping for a "Balotelli bounce". The former prime minister has denied that that was his motive but, according to one estimate, the move could have won him around 400,000 votes. |
| AC Milan have not commented on the remark by Paolo Berlusconi, whose newspaper, Il Giornale, acts as an unofficial mouthpiece for his brother. | AC Milan have not commented on the remark by Paolo Berlusconi, whose newspaper, Il Giornale, acts as an unofficial mouthpiece for his brother. |
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