Gauthier Delomez
As Ramadan began on Thursday, Muslim football players playing in the English leagues will be able to break their fast briefly during the next evening matches. A request made to the officials, invited to find moments of “natural break” during the meetings.
This is a particular attention paid to Muslim footballers. To help them practice their profession during Ramadan, which started this Thursday and lasts for a month, English football officials will allow players respecting this sacred period to briefly break their fast. This will apply to all of England’s leagues, including the Premier League, and for evening matches, reports RMC.
Specifically, according to information from Sky Sportsthe country’s refereeing bodies are asking match officials to open a “natural break” time in the game, and to offer players to take energy drinks or gels, or even supplements.
A precedent in 2021
Officials are also encouraged by officiating bodies to identify professionals who may follow this religious tradition, and schedule a time to break the fast with them. This is what happened in 2021, underlines the English media, during a meeting between Leicester City and Crystal Palace in the Premier League. The two clubs had agreed with the referee to interrupt the match around half an hour of play, and some players like the Frenchman Wesley Fofana had been able to benefit from a break.
This year, Ramadan will take place during seven days of English championship. It will concern stars like the Egyptian from Liverpool Mohamed Salah, the Algerian from Manchester City Riyad Mahrez or the Frenchman from Chelsea, N’Golo Kanté. In France, the Professional Football League has not implemented any specific protocol for Muslim football players.