Sulley Muntari's 1-Match Ban for Arguing over Racial Abuse Overturned

The Italian football federation FIGC has overturned the one-match ban of Sulley Muntari, the Pescara midfielder who walked off the pitch in the Serie A match against Cagliari following racist taunts from fans.

Per Football Italia (via Eurosport), the original decision was widely condemned across the globe and likely led to the ban now being suspended.

Muntari was handed a booking after complaining to the official regarding persistent racist abuse. As reported by Adam Digby of the Independent, he was banned for accumulating too many yellow cards.

Per Digby, Muntari explained the decision to card him, rather than address the problem with the fans, was the reason he walked off: ''That’s where I got angry. Why did he turn on me instead of stopping the match? The fans messed up, but the referee should have done something different, not accuse me. I’m not a victim, but if you stop the matches I’m convinced that these things won’t happen any more.''

Incredibly enough, the FIGC decided to punish Muntari in the wake of the incident, but not Cagliari.

As shared by BBC Sport, Serie A faced trouble in the wake of the original decision, with players suggesting a strike:

With the suspension now overturned, Muntari could face Crotone in Serie A during the weekend. Pescara can no longer avoid relegation.