Nice forward Mario Balotelli makes Bastia racial abuse claim

Nice striker Mario Balotelli claims he was racially abused during Friday night's 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at Bastia.

The 26-year-old Italy forward, who moved to the Cote d'Azur from Liverpool last summer, took to Instagram on Saturday morning to say he was subjected to "monkey noise" throughout the encounter.

He posted a plain black image alongside the message: "Yesterday the result against Bastia was right.. we will work more and try to get our objective.. the referee was good too, but I have a question for French people..

"Is it normal that Bastia supporters make monkey noise 'uh uh' for the whole game and no one of the 'commissions discipline' say nothing? So is racism LEGAL in France? Or only in Bastia?

"Football is an amazing sport.. those people like Bastia supporters make it horrible!"