Mario Balotelli blasted over controversial T-shirt

Last updated : 06 July 2011 By Daily Mail

The Italian striker, whose stay at Eastlands has been dogged by controversy, was spotted at City's training ground at Carrington wearing a t-shirt glorifying violence.

Dressing down: Mario Balotelli has been condemned for wearing T-shirt glorifying violence

His top showed a pistol, machine gun, knife and a girl's bleeding mouth was condemned by a leading anti-knife campaign group.

Gary Trowsdale, managing director of the Damilola Taylor Trust, told the Sun: 'This kind of thing is reprehensible but it doesn't surprise me.

'Not long ago we heard about Nile Ranger of Newcastle holding a gun for aphoto on Facebook. Then there's been Joey Barton's behaviour.

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'What I want to know is where does it all end? These young guys are meant to be role models for the kids growing up. I grew up watching Chelsea in the Peter Osgood era and things like this were unheard of.

'These players get paid an awful lot of money, thousands of us pay a lot to go and watch them every week and pay those wages.

'The least we expect in return is for them to behave like responsible adults. But it doesn't surprise me and what I want to know is what theirunion chief Gordon Taylor will do about it.

'It's something that needs to be looked at. It's easy for us to condemn young players for doing it but the PFA need to do something.

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Damilola was just a few days short of his 11th birthday when he died from a stab wound in Peckham in 2000.

Balotelli has made the headlines for his antics both on and off the pitch.

Just before signing for City in a ?24million deal, the 20-year-old was stopped by police after firing a toy pistol in Milan city centre.

A few months later Balotelli was in hot water again for throwing a dart at a youth team player at City's training ground.

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And Balotelli added to his crime sheet by visiting a Mafia stronghold in Naples during his summer break.

On the pitch he claimed as many bookings and goals during his injury-hit season as City finished third in the Premier League.

And he was axed from the Italian national team and ordered to improve his behaviour by the president of his country's FA.

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Source: Daily Mail

Source: Daily Mail