Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli insists he was always committed to the Italian cause.

Balotelli could not make his international debut at Under-21 level until he turned 18 due to red tape over his adoption. That Ghanaian heritage has caused problems for the teenager with racist chants aimed against him.

"I am Italian. They try to set me apart because of the colour of my skin, but I am Italian and they know it.

"I don't know the answer to racism, as I am only a small part of this world and I cannot change it. I won't say it'll always be this way, as things are already improving."

There have been suggestions games could be stopped by the referee if there are repeated racist insults.

"If it were up to me, they could insult me from start to finish and I wouldn't stop. If they do it to another player and he does want to call a halt to the game, then that's his way of dealing with it. In my view it's just another way of trying to intimidate opponents."