Sulley Muntari played hard, shot from distance and never hid from a tackle. In a career spent mostly in Italy, he won the biggest trophies in club football and became one of Ghana’s most recognisable players.
From Ghana to Udinese
Muntari was born in Ghana and began his career at home before moving to Italy as a teenager to join Udinese. He spent five seasons there, making more than 150 appearances and establishing himself as a powerful central midfielder.
Portsmouth
In May 2007, Portsmouth signed Muntari for a club record fee of around £7.1 million. In his only season in England, he impressed in the Premier League and was part of the team that won the FA Cup in 2008, one of the greatest days in the club’s history.
Inter Milan
His performances earned a move to Inter Milan in 2008. Under José Mourinho, Inter won the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in 2010, completing a historic treble. Muntari was part of the squad.
AC Milan
Muntari later moved across the city to AC Milan, where he was a regular and scored important goals. Playing for both Milan clubs made him a well-known figure in Italian football.
The Black Stars
Muntari represented Ghana at several World Cups and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He scored a famous long-range goal against Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup quarter-final.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he was sent home along with Kevin-Prince Boateng after disputes within the camp, ending his international career in controversy.
Standing up to racism
On 30 April 2017, playing for Pescara at Cagliari, Muntari was booked for complaining about racist abuse from fans and then walked off the pitch in protest. The incident drew international attention and support, and his ban was later overturned.
A record in Italy
By the time of the Cagliari match, Muntari had made 270 Serie A appearances, a record for an African player in the Italian top flight at the time.
After Italy
Muntari later played in several countries before returning to Ghana to finish his career with Hearts of Oak.
A career of big moments
Muntari’s career included an FA Cup, a Champions League treble, a World Cup goal against Uruguay and a stand against racism. Few Ghanaian players have been involved in so many of football’s big stories.
