Balotelli calls himself a genius

Italy and Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli has again proved his skill for hitting the international headlines by proclaiming himself to be a 'genius' and threatening to kill racists. The 21-year-old, who has Ghanaian roots, has been subject to racist abuse several times in his career. Porto were fined 20,000 euros because their fans racially abused him during a Europa League tie in February and Juventus had to play a game behind doors in 2009 after their supporters directed chants of 'there's no such thing as a black Italian' at him when he was an Inter Milan player. He also had bananas thrown at him in a Rome bar before the European Under-21 Championships in June 2009. The talented forward said he will not stand for it any more and has threatened to walk out if there is racist abuse at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. 'I hope that there will not be a problem (at Euro 2012) because I really can't handle that,' Balotelli told France Football magazine. 'I cannot bear racism, it's unacceptable for me. If it happened again I would leave the pitch straight away and go home. It's 2012. It can't happen. 'If someone throws a banana at me in the street, I will go to prison because I will kill them. 'It was lucky that the police arrived quickly (at the banana incident in Rome) because, I swear, I would have beaten them up. I would have really destroyed them. I hope it never happens again'. Balotelli is sometimes nicknamed 'Mad Mario' by the British media because of his fiery temper, which has contributed to him having a dire disciplinary record, and a series of bizarre off-field antics that have made the news. The include him getting fined by City for throwing darts at youth-team players and his house in Manchester catching fire after his friends were messing around with fireworks on the night before a 6-1 win over Manchester United in which he scored twice. He insists, however, that he is not crazy or out of control, just misunderstood. 'I think I am a genius. But I'm not a rebel,' he said. 'I have my life, my world, I do what I want, without trampling on anyone's feet'.