Sulley Muntari and other black players should keep walking off until racism is addressed

Published on: 10 May 2017

By Darren Lewis

Former Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari says he hears racial abuse "every game" in Italy and has vowed to walk off again.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Sulley Muntari case has been the support of Godfred Donsah.

Within days of the incident which saw Muntari suspended after protesting to the referee about racist abuse from Cagliari fans, Donsah stood up to be counted.

Just 20 years of age, the Bologna midfielder declared himself "100 per cent" willing to go on strike to show solidarity with his Ghanian countryman.

No ducking, diving or worrying about the worst that could happen. Donsah did more to speak out on the issue than many other players with far bigger profiles.

No hiding behind his club or waiting until he has retired from the game to shout the loudest. Donsah has clearly realised that the power increasingly is with the players. Without the players, there is no game.

"I would [go on strike] 100 per cent. Because racism is something that is killing the game.” he said.

A stand could most certainly be made if more players were to follow his lead.

Muntari has already made it clear that he will leave the field “again and again” if he continues to receive abuse on the field of play. Quite right too.

The Pescara midfielder had done all the right things after being targeted by a section of the Cagliari crowd. He’d asked the referee to stop the game - only to be shown a yellow card. Madness.

Responding to the ensuing anger, the defiant Italian Football Federation (FIGC) declared the ban would stand, with no punishment for Cagliari because the (clearly audible) chanting came from around 10 people. That number, they argued, constituted "less than 1 per cent of the crowd" inside the Stadio Sant'Elia stadium.

Again, madness.

Since the incident all of the usual governing bodies have come out with the usual hand-wringing and the platitudes about there being no place in the game for abusing someone on the basis of the colour of their skin.

Yet still it happens in Italy. Still it happens across Europe. Let’s not kid ourselves, it happens right here in England too.

So if players want to take a stand, they should. They should shatter the complacency, maintain the awareness. Make themselves heard and hang the consequences.

Funnily enough, Muntari’s suspension was scrapped after the outcry which followed the FIGC’s handling of his case. The Italian football authorities may now face disciplinary action themselves from FIFA.

The president of world football’s governing body, Gianni Infantino, intends to speak to the head of FIGC, Carlo Tavecchio.

Except - Tavecchio is the man who famously referred to African players as 'banana eaters’ as an FIGC presidential candidate in 2014. It didn’t stop him from being confirmed unanimously in the role. What chance do black players in Italy have?

Four years ago Kevin-Prince Boateng, then an AC Milan midfielder, walked off the pitch during a friendly game against third-division Pro Patria in response to monkey chanting from the opposing fans.

A year later, Atalanta fans threw bananas at Kevin Constant, an AC Milan defender from Guinea.

In October 2015, Stefano Eranio, the ex-Milan and Derby player Stefano Eranio, was sacked by a Swiss TV company, after the Italian said live on air that “black players are not accustomed to paying attention to certain details”.

A few months previously, the former Italy coach, Arrigo Sacchi, told the national media that Italy’s youth set-up features “too many blacks”.

Mario Balotelli routinely suffered racial abuse during his time at AC Milan. Even the Milan vice-president Paulo Berlusconi, described him as “the family’s little n****r.”

A culture exists within Italian football that has made it acceptable in some areas to demean players on the basis of the colour of their skin.

Despite the good of so many within their game, exemplified by the likes of Giorgio Chiellini who vehemently opposed the appointment of Tavecchio at the time, there is an ugly side which needs to be addressed urgently.

Until that happens, players like Muntari have to take matters into their own hands. It is the only way that they will force Italian football to confront it’s problems and bring about real change.

Source: Mirror.co.uk

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