Former England striker calls on Serie A players to strike in solidarity with racially abused Muntari
Former England striker Garth Crooks has called on football players plying their trade in Italy to strike this weekend unless Ghanaian Sulley Muntari’s one-match suspension is withdrawn.
The Pescara midfielder was slapped with the ban after he walked out of Sunday’s Serie A match against Cagliari. His decision to leave of the game was prompted by the referee’s decision to show him a yellow card for protesting against racists’ abuse from the crowd.
Following the ban, anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out branded Italy’s football chiefs “gutless”.
Muntari has received massive support for his actions, including the United Nations human rights chief Zeid bin Ra’ad.
Crooks, now a television pundit, said the strike would send a clear message to the federation in Italy that their stand on the incident was wrong.
“I’m calling on players in Italy, black and white, to make it absolutely clear to the federation in Italy that their position is unacceptable, and if the decision is not reversed then they withdraw their services until it is.”
Pescara’s coach Zdenek Zeman’s said that he hopes “mentalities will change” with respect to racism.
