when religion and sport meet

O Ramadan, one of the four pillars of Islam, began last Sunday, the 10th. Over the course of approximately a month, Muslims around the world intensify their prayers and fast between sunrise and sunset. The practice of charity is also highlighted for people who follow religion.

Scheduled in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan directly interferes with the routine of football players. Big names like Salah (Liverpool), Gundogan (Manchester City), Benzema It is Kante (both from Al Ittihad) align with Muslim traditions, which demands flexibility on the part of their respective leagues.

Among the main championships in Europe, the Premier League is the most open. On more than one occasion, the English Championship allowed matches to be stopped so that the fast could be broken; which is usually done by drinking a date and a glass of water. According to the website “FourFourTwo”some athletes begin to reduce their diet before Ramadan in order to adapt faster.

Mohammed Elnenyof Arsenalexplained that the interference of practice is positive for the players: “Every football player, when they train, needs to drink. After training, we eat food. Ramadan doesn’t give you that, but it gives you something else: the peace that God will be happy with you and the respect that you will receive from the people.”

A Bundesligaon the other hand, had authorized the suspension of a match (between Augsburg It is Mainz 05) in favor of the religious month for the first time in 2022. On that occasion, with the referee's approval, the goalkeeper Zentner offered a bottle of water and other liquid supplements to Niakhaté. The recording of the moment of solidarity went viral on social media.

Despite greater acceptance in the sporting world, Muslim athletes have not yet completely freed themselves from religious intolerance. On the contrary, the French Football Federation had already disapproved of the temporary interruption of clashes during Ramadan and reinforced its position for the current season.

With the sun setting, the match was interrupted for @Niakhate to break his fast for Ramadan ✨#Bundesliga | @1FSVMMainz05pic.twitter.com/hg409fkAlm

— Suga Sports (@SugaSportss) March 12, 2024

The president of Federal Commission of Arbitrators (CFA) of French football, Eric Borghinihe told the newspaper “Le Parisien” that the current protocol follows the same: “If we know this is happening (pauses in games), we will give an alert”. This year, Ramadan lasts until April 9th, on a Tuesday.