Former Black Stars midfielder, Sulley Muntari, has revealed why he turned down a move to Asante Kotoko after parting ways with Hearts of Oak.
The former Inter Milan and AC Milan midfielder signed a six-month loan deal with the club midway through the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League season.
Muntari assisted the Phobian Club to win the President’s Cup and the FA Cup.
However, the 36-year-old did not renew his contract with the Rainbow Club.
He was linked to the Porcupine Warriors before the start of the 2022/23 football season.
According to Muntari, he did not want to disgrace himself and put a dent in his legacy after his suggestions on how to improve the squad for their African campaign proved futile.
Speaking to Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV, Muntari who was close to joining Hearts’ rivals Asante Kotoko after failed talks with the Phobians said both clubs did not want to build their team the European way.
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“Yeah, I had a few talks with them (Asante Kotoko) I spoke to some board members because I wanted to help them in Africa but I was with Hearts of Oak at that time,” he said.
“My contract had run out and I was talking with them to build a very, very strong team. I didn’t want to go and disgrace myself in the African campaign. If you qualify for the CAF Champions League or any other CAF competition or even Europe, you prepare for that. You augment the squad that you qualified with some good players and build the team.
“So I was talking with Hearts of Oak to build the team but the management had different ideas. And if someone has a different idea, although you tell them to do stuff, if they don’t want to do it, you don’t push it.
“I’ll tell you the truth, I didn’t want to go and disgrace myself. And I know I’ve really worked hard in terms of football, so for me to come and let some little things wipe all the work that I’ve done, no. I won’t do it, no. So I was talking with Kotoko about the same (thing),” he added.
The former Portsmouth midfielder and English FA Cup winner also clarified that his attempt to join Asante Kotoko was not because Hearts of Oak failed to adopt his suggested models.
“It is not because Hearts didn’t do as I said that’s why I wanted to go to Kotoko, no. But even if it’s second division, it’s the same mentality I would come up with, so you can build a strong team. Because the moment you build a strong team, the following year you can sell two or three players then you get money then you build the team again. Most of the teams we played in Europe that’s what they do.”
Both Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko got kicked out of their respective African campaigns after their first games.
Asante Kotoko lost 4-3 on penalties to Burkinabe side RC Kadiogo in the first round of the CAF Champions League while Hearts lost 3-1 on aggregate to Malian side, AS Bamako in the CAF Confederations Cup.