Mario Balotelli

Without the core from the title-challenging, beautiful team of yesteryear, can Liverpool contend for the Premier League in upcoming seasons?

A study from anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out found that Mario Balotelli gets abused a lot, and a bunch of other stuff.

If there is one thing that has never been in short supply in the life of Mario Balotelli, it’s haters. The combination of his large personality, perceived arrogance, and talent level means that he is just as likely to piss off an entire stadium as he is to bring it to its feet in celebration. The fact that he lives in the first “hater generation,” as rapper Wale so eloquently put it, doesn’t help. Social media is nothing if not a bastion for ignorant hatred, and of all the celebrities who operate in the space Balotelli probably receives the worst of it.

Mario Balotelli took the ball from designated penalty taker and team captain Jordan Henderson to win the game Thursday.