A major campaigner against racial abuse in sports, Garth Crooks, has called for all “self-respecting black players” to boycott Italian Serie A games in response to ban on Ghanaian player, Sulley Muntari.
Muntari was banned after being issued with a yellow card for reporting racial abuse.
Crooks of the anti-racism organization, Kick It Out, released a strongly-worded statement criticizing the ‘gutless failure’ to deal with Muntari’s allegations of racial abuse against a section of Cagliari fans.
Former Inter Milan and Portsmouth midfielder, Muntari, who now played for Italian side Pescara, was subject of racial abuse by a section of Cagliari fans during the recent Italian league match. Muntari reported the abuse to referee Daniele Minelli, who elected not to take action over the allegations but to show Muntari a yellow card for dissent.
Muntari responded to the booking by walking off the pitch and shouting at those abusing him “this is my colour”, but while the Serie A disciplinary commission agreed that the actions of the Cagliari fans was “deplorable”, they decided not to take action against Cagliari because it was only “approximately 10” people responsible for the abuse, less than one per cent of the total attendance.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Tuesday that Muntari’s yellow card, his fifth of the season, will not be rescinded, and that he will have to serve a one-match ban as a result of the booking accumulation.
Source PANA
