Liverpool's Mario Balotelli stands at the side of the pitch prior to the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Stoke City at Anfield, Liverpool, England, Saturday Nov. 29, 2014. (AP Photo/PA, Peter Byrne) UNITED KINGDOM OUT (The Associated Press)
LONDON – Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is facing an investigation from the English Football Association after a post on social media site Instagram was criticized for being racist and anti-Semitic.
Balotelli uploaded a picture of the video game character Super Mario, with whom the Italy international shares a nickname, with text around the image including "jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew."
The FA says "we are aware of it and we are looking into it."
Under FA guidelines regarding social media, Balotelli could be suspended for five games if found guilty.
Balotelli has since deleted the post and apologized on his Twitter account.
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