Former Ghana midfielder, Sulley Ali Muntari, has urged world football governing body, FIFA to put in more effort to fight racism in football.
The discrimination against black players in football has been a major problem for FIFA.
The former AC Milan midfielder’s call followed protests around the world against racism after a video of the killing of a black man, George Floyd, in the United States of America went viral.
Players and clubs in various leagues have also staged subtle on-field protests.
The 2010 Champions League winner with Inter Milan in an interview with TV3 stressed that VAR was invented to correct the existing wrongs in football and same efforts should be channelled into fighting racism in sports generally.
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“For instance, they have invented VAR, which helps to take alternative views on decisions. So why don’t you put that same energy into tackling racism?” he asked.
In 2017, Muntari walked off the field after he was shown a yellow card for complaining to the referee about racist chants from Cagliari fans when he was playing for Pescara in Italy.
He said such situations called for unity within the sports fraternity.
“When it happened to me, I walked out. Whenever someone encounters such a thing, the person needs to walk, but we have to come together and fight it,” he said.
“Person’s colour does not matter because we are all human beings. It will go on forever if we don’t change it,” he said.
Muntari has been clubless after leaving Spanish second division side Albacete last year.
He has, however, been linked to Accra Hearts of Oak and Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa.