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Agence France-Presse

World football players’ union FIFPro urged Italian football powers on Tuesday to quash Sulley Muntari’s yellow card for leaving the pitch over the weekend, after fans hurled racial abuse at the Ghanian player.
The former AC Milan and Inter midfielder dramatically left the field on Sunday while playing for Pescara at Cagliari after he angrily confronted Cagliari fans, claiming to have been racially abused before being booked.
While leaving the pitch in frustration and murmuring “Basta ! (Enough)”, Muntari went to address more supporters, showing them his arm and shouting: “this is my colour, this is my colour”.
Muntari, 32, could now face disciplinary measures after deciding to leave the field seconds before full-time – a decision that earned him a second yellow card, and then a red, from referee Daniele Minelli.
“FIFPro believes Muntari’s yellow card should be rescinded,” the Dutch-based union said in a statement.
‘This is my colour’ – UN official hails Sulley Muntari for walking off because of racist chants
“Muntari was well within his rights to approach referee Daniele Minelli, as the first point of reference, to make his grievances known and seek a solution,” it said from its headquarters outside Amsterdam.
FIFPro urged Italian football authorities to “hear Muntari’s version of events, investigate why the situation was mismanaged, and take firm action to ensure this never happens again.”
“No player should ever feel the need to take matters into his own hands, as Muntari clearly felt obliged to do, by abandoning the match or taking spectators to task for inappropriate behaviour,” it said.
Muntari was at AC Milan when former teammate Kevin Prince Boateng angrily walked off the pitch while being targeted with racist abuse during a friendly with lower league side Pro Patria in January 2013.
It prompted a wave of support on social media, although football’s ruling body Fifa, while applauding Boateng’s principles, said it did not condone his decision to walk off.


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Italian Serie A

Players union want Sulley Muntari yellow card quashed following racial abuse protest

Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari was sent-off following his protest over racial abuse. Photo: EPA

Referee Daniele Minelli shows the yellow card to Pescara's Sulley Muntari, second from right, during a Serie A soccer match between Pescara and Cagliari, at the Cagliari Sant'Elia stadium, Italy, Sunday, April 30, 2017. Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari walked off the pitch in protest during his side's Serie A match at Cagliari after being booked for complaining to the referee about racist abuse from fans. Muntari told referee Daniele Minelli about the racist chants from home fans in the final minute of Pescara's 1-0 defeat but the official showed the Ghana midfielder a yellow card. (Fabio Murru/ANSA via AP)

Roma's Italian forward Stephan El Shaarawy (R) vies with Pescara Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari during the Italian Serie A football match between Pescara and Roma at the Adriatico Stadium in Pescara on April 24, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

Sport

Football

World football players’ union FIFPro urges Italian football powers to quash yellow card for leaving the pitch


Players union want Sulley Muntari yellow card quashed following racial abuse protest

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}World football players’ union FIFPro urges Italian football powers to quash yellow card for leaving the pitch

World football players’ union FIFPro urges Italian football powers to quash yellow card for leaving the pitch