Pellegrini: Ridiculous we still have to fight racism

Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini has expressed his complete support for Mario Balotelli – saying there is absolutely no place for racism in modern society.

Brescia striker Balotelli was recently subjected to a number of racist chants during matches, with Roma one of the clubs to take a stand in support of the Italy international.

And, with Brescia coming to the Stadio Olimpico to face Roma on Sunday, Pellegrini was unequivocal in his backing of Balotelli.

“It’s ridiculous that we are still talking about racism,” Pellegrini told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“There’s only one race, and that’s the human one. I appreciate the stance my club has taken.

"Mario is a great guy and I hope that he doesn’t have to go through such things ever again. I can imagine how much they hurt.”

Sunday’s game could see Pellegrini make his return to first-team action, having been sidelined since the end of September with a fractured metatarsal.

“I’m ready, I’ve been working hard to make sure I could be back as soon as possible – and actually managed to get back a bit quicker than expected,” he said.

“Being out is always tough. Really tough."

He added: “I’m coming back into a strong squad. What the guys did is hard to describe: to play so many tough games in quick succession, pretty much always with the same line-up.

"That's really not easy, so I’m coming back into a squad that’s a bit more aware of what it is capable of.”