Liverpool's Balotelli suspended for a match

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli received a one-match suspension and was fined 25,000 pounds by the Football Association (FA) for his Super Mario post on social media.

The FA also warned the Italian international of his future conduct and ordered him to attend an education programme, reports Xinhua.

"The charge was that an image the Liverpool player posted on social media was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper," the FA said in an statement.

The posting was considered to be an "Aggravated Breach" as defined in FA rules, it said.

The former Manchester City forward posted an image of computer game character Super Mario on Instagram which included the words "jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew."

He later denied the post was offensive, before apologising.