FLORENCE, Italy (AP) Italy coach Roberto Mancini would prefer to recall Mario Balotelli for his qualities as a player, not as a message against racism.
Balotelli has not been called up by Mancini in more than a year but Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina said last week that naming him in the squad would send a strong message after the Brescia forward was racially abused the previous weekend.
Balotelli was included in Mancini's first two squads, playing his first matches for Italy since the 2014 World Cup, but has not been called up since. He was again omitted from upcoming European qualifiers against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Armenia.