Former Ghana international, Sulley Ali Muntari, has dropped the strongest hint yet that he has called time on his playing career but only left a small window of a possible return to domestic football if he feels motivated and fit to play again
Muntari explained that he was not interested in playing football anymore after his tenure with Accra Hearts of Oak ended last season. He said he was tired after a successful club career that started with Liberty Professionals and took him to the Italian Serie A, English Premiership and the Spanish La Liga and the Saudi Arabian topflight league over the last 20 years.
After playing for clubs like Udinese, AC Milan and Inter Milan where he won the 2010 UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Club Cup, as well as the English FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008, the veteran midfielder returned to domestic football to play for Hearts in the 2021-2022 league season and won the MTN FA Cup and President’s Cup with the club.
In an interview with Dan Kweku Yeboah TV, the 38-year-old said he felt tired and was, therefore, calling time on his career.
He indicated also that he had no intention of playing abroad even if he got a good offer because he had made a good name over the years and did not want to put up a sub-standard performance and disgrace himself.
“[To play] outside (Europe), no more, I don’t want to play football anymore,” Muntari told Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV.
“I only wanted to help the local league gain ground because the local league gave us a lot when we were playing. So I wanted to give back to the local league.
“It’s not that I’m retired or not retired but I just don’t want to play [football]. I’m tired but then with friends I train with them. If I decide to play, it will be in the local league but it’s not my priority.”
At the height of his career, Muntari chalked up a lot of successes in Europe during his club career in Europe and a brief spell in Asia.
During his time at Inter Milan, Muntari won the UEFA Champions League and was part of the treble winning side of the club under Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho.
On the international stage, Muntari represented Ghana at three FIFA World Cup tournaments in 2006, 2010 and 2014, scoring a goal each in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments.
He was a member of the Black Stars team that won bronze at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring 20 goals in 86 appearances for Ghana between 2002 and 2014.
