One match ban removed after racist abuse led Pescara midfielder to leave field
As reported in The Guardian, Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari has had his disqualification rescinded after his altercations following racial abuse by Cagliari fans last weekend. The experienced Ghanaian had complained to the referee Daniele Minelli, received a yellow card. Muntari then walked off the pitch in protest, to which Minelli responded by sending him off. Initially the automatic one match ban was upheld, but now the Italian FA have decided to remove the ban, thus allowing Muntari to be available in his team’s game against Crotone on Sunday. The Cagliari fans so far have not received any sanctions for the abuse brought upon Muntari, who spoke out against Minelli following the game. Other black players in Italy, including Genoa midfielder Godfred Donsah, joined the protest to sit out in support of Muntari, should his ban have been upheld. Luckily for Muntari the Italian FA acted progressively and proactively. The same sadly can not be said for a small percentage of fans that continue to infiltrate the stadiums with poisonous messages.
