Italy: Sulley Muntari racism protest ban lifted

Red card is annulled by Italian football federation's appeal court following outcry.

The Italian football federation has rescinded Pescara
midfielder Sulley Muntari's one-match ban for walking 
off the field in response to racist chants by spectators 
during a Serie A game against Cagliari.

The Ghanaian's two yellow cards that amounted to a red
Sunday's match was annulled by the federation's appeal 
court on Friday following protests.

The first yellow card was issued for protesting about the
abuse and the second for leaving the field without 
following procedures.

Cagliari was not penalised as the league ruled that the 
racist chanting came from "about 10 people, or less than 
one percent of the sector" of the stadium.

Britain's Kick It Out anti-discrimination group had called
 Italy's football authorities "gutless" over the ban.

"The gutless failure to not take action by the Italian
 authorities should not be allowed to pass," Kick It Out
 said in a statement on Wednesday.

"It's unbelievable that Cagliari escaped punishment as
 'only 10' fans were involved. This situation should never
 be allowed to happen again."

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks, an
independent trustee at the organisation, urged black 
players in Italy to go on strike this weekend unless the ban was withdrawn, the campaign group said in a statement.

Italy and other countries have struggled to stamp
 out racist chants at games. In 2013, the AC Milan team
 left the pitch during a friendly in the town of Busto Arsizio after home fans insulted midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, another Ghanaian.

Under guidelines introduced following that incident, the referee is supposed to alert the fourth official who should in turn contact authorities policing games.