Pescara coach hits out at referee over Sulley Muntari punishment for racist abuse action
Pescara coach, Zdenek Zeman has slammed Italian Serie A referee for punishing Muntari after he walked off over racial chants
Sulley Muntari was booked after reporting racist abuse before walking off the field of play in protest.
The former Portsmouth midfielder, now of Pescara, asked the referee to stop the game after being subjected to a torrent of racist abuse during his side’s 1-0 loss at Cagliari on Sunday
The referee apparently did not hear the chants and instead chose to book Muntari for dissent prompting the 32-year-old to leave the field in protest. Pescara went on to finish the game with 10 men.
"Muntari asked the referee to intervene, but he did not do it," he told reporters.
"We talk so much about racism, but then we just move on.
"This happened to Muntari who has played in Italy for several years - we want to change the mentality.
"He left the field because of the chants, but we should not have to take justice into our own hands."
Muntari was not the first apparent victim of racial abuse in Italy on Sunday, as Roma director Frederic Massara said defender Antonio Rudiger suffered from it in his side's 3-1 loss to Lazio.
"He was very angry with the racist chanting we had to put up with," he said. "It's a shame you still hear these things."
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