It was a disaster for soccer in Italy when the national team missed out on the last World Cup.

Manuel Locatelli is finally living up to his promise as Italy's next great midfielder.

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020 filer, Brescia's Mario Balotelli reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Brescia and Udinese at the Mario Rigamonti stadium in Brescia, Italy. The former Italy striker was reportedly fired by his hometown club for failing to report for training as the Italian soccer season prepares to resume from a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic. The former Italy striker was reportedly fired by his hometown club for failing to report to training as the Italian soccer league prepares to resume from a three-month break amid the coronavirus pandemic. While Balotelli reportedly excused himself from training by presenting a doctors note saying he needed to take a week off for stomach troubles, the club had already had enough of him. In the meantime, it seems almost certain that Balotelli wont be suiting up when Brescia resumes playing on June 22 at Fiorentina.

Verona supporters' racist chants upset the Italian bomber who also scored one goal. (Simone Venezia/ANSA via AP)ROME The ball that Mario Balotelli angrily kicked high into the stands out of frustration because of racist chants is still traveling. Luca Castellini, the leader of the Hellas Verona "ultra" fan section that directed the racist chants at Balotelli, sees it differently. "Balotelli is Italian because he has Italian citizenship but he'll never be fully Italian," Castellini said Monday, a day after the incident during the second half of the Verona-Brescia game. There was also no punishment for racist chants aimed by Verona fans at AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie in September.

Verona supporters' racist chants upset the Italian bomber who also scored one goal. There was also a case of racist chants aimed by Verona fans at AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie in September. The 29-year-old Balotelli also experienced racism at the beginning of his career in Italy, when he rose to prominence with Inter Milan. Verona went ahead 2-0 before Balotelli scored for Brescia and the game ended 2-1. Verona president Maurizio Setti also said the club didn't observe any racist chants but added that he talked to Balotelli afterward.

Brescia's head coach Eugenio Corini talks to Brescia's Mario Balotelli during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Verona and Brescia at the Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019. (Simone Venezia/ANSA via AP)VERONA Brescia striker Mario Balotelli threatened to leave the field due to racist chants directed at him by Hellas Verona fans during a top-tier soccer game in Italy on Sunday. Verona coach Ivan Juric said he didn't hear any racist chants. I didn't hear a single (chant)." "Honestly, I was far away and I didn't hear anything," Corini said.