I will be cheering on Mario and the Italian team in their match today against Spain!

Mario Balotelli, the black Italian soccer star whose two goals gave Italy its 2-1 semifinal victory over Germany on Thursday, grew up as the foster son of a Jewish mother in northern Italy. Balotelli dedicated his semi-final goals to his foster mother, Silvia, and newspapers and web sites ran a dramatic photo of him tearfully embracing her after the match. An article on Moked, the web site of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, called the embrace “an emotion for all Italians and a special emotion for Italian Jews.”...

The tournament, commonly called Euro 2012, has taken place in Poland and Ukraine this year. Kiev will host Sunday’s final match...

Balotelli, who plays for Britain’s Manchester City as well as the Italian national team, was born Mario Barwuah to Ghanaian immigrant parents in Palermo. He suffered from health problems as a small child and eventually his financially strapped parents placed him in the care of Francesco and Silvia Balotelli...
source: http://forward.com/articles/158725/b...aly-in-soccer/