Sulley Muntari is a former midfielder of the Black Stars
Sulley Muntari was always known for his aggressive style of play, a trait that made him one of the most feared midfielders of his generation.
However, his journey to becoming a tough tackler didn’t happen overnight. It was a skill he developed early in his career, thanks to a pivotal lesson from his coach at Udinese, Luciano Spalletti.
In a recent interview with 3Sports, Muntari shared how Spalletti’s words transformed his approach to the game.
According to the 2010 Champions League winner, his initial lack of physicality limited his playing time until Spalletti urged him to toughen up.
“When I went to Udinese, they wanted to play me, but I was too soft,” he recalled. “One day, Spalletti called me and said, ‘I want you to play, but I’m not comfortable because you’re not aggressive enough. Have you seen how Pinzi plays? Just add a little bit of that,’ he said.”
Taking his coach’s advice to heart, Muntari made an immediate and dramatic change. Within a week, his tackles became so intense that two of his teammates had to be sent to the doctor after training.
“After he told me that, in the span of one week, two players ended up at the doctor’s office because of my tackles,” he said. “By the third day, the doctors didn’t even ask questions anymore. They just asked, ‘Sulley?’ And then treated them,” he added.
However, his transformation was so extreme that even Spalletti had to step in again—this time, to rein him in.
“After the fifth day, the coach said, ‘I asked you to play tougher, but this is too much,’” Muntari recalled with a laugh.
Muntari went on to play over 400 games across the globe, winning multiple trophies, including a historic treble with Inter Milan in 2010.
His relentless style of play cemented his legacy as one of the finest midfielders of his generation.
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