Mario Balotelli returns to training in £240,000 Ferrari F12 amidst anti-Semitic drama

Balotelli arrives Liverpool training ground in his Ferrari F12

Mario Balotelli returned to Liverpool's training ground yesterday amid a Football Association investigation into alleged anti-Semitic comments that appeared on his Instagram account.

The Italian reposted an image of the computer game character Super Mario which read: ‘Don’t be racist — be like Mario. He’s an Italian plumber created by Japanese people who speaks English and looks like a Mexican. But below, it continued: ‘jumps like a black man and grabs coin like a Jew.’ 

Balotelli, who has issued an apology and will fully-co-operate with the FA, missed Tuesday night's win at Leicester with a groin problem. 

Balotelli has struggled for form since his move to Liverpool from AC Milan

However, the 24-year-old arrived at the club's Melwood base on Wednesday in his £240,000 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta that has been shipped over from Italy.

Balotelli insisted that the image was meant to be ‘anti-racist with humour’.

His statement read: ‘I apologise if I have offended anyone… I now understand that out of context may have the opposite effect. Not all Mexicans have moustache, not all black people jump high and not all Jewish people love money.

Balotelli posted this image on his twitter account and has landed him in a controversy

‘I used a cartoon by someone else because it has Super Mario and I thought it was funny and not offensive. I am sorry.’ The FA, however, will continue their investigation and they can impose a minimum ban of five matches if they believe Balotelli has ‘brought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race’.