AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri has hit back at claims from the mayor of Verona that Mario Balotelli is a troublemaker, saying the problem of racism lies with supporters not the Italy attacker.
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"The racism problem isn't anything to do with Mario, but rather with a lack of culture on the part of people who go to the stadium and behave in a certain way towards players with a different skin colour," Allegri said on Friday.
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Allegri was speaking at a news conference ahead of their Serie A season-opening match at Hellas Verona. on Saturday (1600 GMT).
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Verona mayor Flavio Tosi, also speaking before the promoted local team's first Serie A match in more than a decade, said Italy striker Balotelli brings abuse upon himself.
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"Mario is a troublemaker. There are lots of black players (in Italy), and those who don't wind up opposition fans don't have any problems," Tosi, who represents the separatist Northern League party, told Radio Sportiva.
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"Balotelli is a formidable player... but he knows how to be irksome when he's out on the pitch and that exasperates people. He even managed to have issues with Chievo fans, who most certainly are not racist," he said referring to the city's other first division team.
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However, Tosi appealed to Hellas Verona fans not to abuse Milan's black players and backed the closing of spectator sections or even whole stadiums should fans racially abuse players.
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Lazio and AS Roma will have to play matches with the hardcore fan sections of the Olympic Stadium in Rome closed after incidents of racist chanting.