
Former Italian international striker Mario Balotelli has opened up on his struggles with racism and rejection during his early years, revealing that life only changed for him after he became rich and famous.
In a candid recount, the 35-year-old footballer said that before his breakthrough into professional soccer, he faced constant rejection from Italian girls — including some of his schoolmates — who openly told him they did not love black men.
Balotelli admitted that in his desperation, he once tried visiting a red-light district with the little money he had, but even there he was turned away because of his skin colour.
“When I finally signed my professional soccer contract, I leveled up, bought a car and went out to pick four girls to have fun with. I sat in the middle, two girls to my right and two to my left. People thought I was a Casanova, but I did it for revenge,” Balotelli recalled.
The former Manchester City and AC Milan forward said the experience taught him a bitter lesson about human desires.
“Since then I understand that all women want is money. When you are rich, they don’t see the colour of your skin or where you come from,” he said.

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