Muntari snubs cheeky award from TV station over racism protest

Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari refused to accept a satirical award after he was racially abused by fans and Pescara Coach Zdenek Zeman noted “he’s the only one who had to pay.”

The midfielder was reacting to insults from a small group of around 10 Cagliari supporters during last Sunday’s Serie A game when the referee booked him.

Not only was the yellow card not rescinded – and thus Muntari is suspended – but Cagliari were not punished in any way because the Disciplinary Commission noted it was only a handful of people in the crowd.

Today Valerio Staffelli of famous TV show Striscia La Notizia visited the Pescara training ground to present Muntari with the Tapiro d’Oro award, given to people in sport or the public eye who have had a big disappointment.

The Ghana international refused to accept it or give any statements to the camera crew.

Coach Zeman did speak to the TV programme. “It’s a shame that he’s the only one who had to pay in all this. In my view, he was in the right.

“In football there are many things that are not right and this is one of them.”