Ramadan is integrated into football

The most important holiday for the Muslim community has begun and with it, the concern of clubs that the performance of their players will be affected. The obligation for followers of Islam to fast has always been a headache for clubs and organisations. 

In view of this, international football is increasingly adopting a global approach. Allowing Muslim players to break their fast is a sign of the union between sport and religion.

One of the most important values in sport is respect, so these gestures towards a Muslim community that is increasingly integrated into the world of football send a strong message that religious practices cannot and should not influence people's working lives.

For this reason, last season the main European leagues established a 90-second break so that footballers who fast in accordance with their religious beliefs can break the fast, as such non-compliance is allowed for elite athletes due to the physical demands of their work. 

The first time this break happened was in a Premier League match between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace where the home team's player, Dango Ouattara, went to the bench to break his fast. This act was supported by players, fans and the refereeing team who stopped the match so that Ouattara could, with one knee on the pitch, break his fast. 

This milestone was an act of respect towards the footballer and the faith he practises and marked a turning point in the importance of religious acts within the world of football. 

In Europe, four leagues have already applied this rule: the English Premier League, the French Ligue 1, the German Bundesliga, and the Dutch Eredivise. These competitions have the largest number of Muslim players. 

In addition, the FA Cup, the oldest club competition in the world and the equivalent of the Copa del Rey in Spain, announced that it will apply this rule together with the Australian A-League who, at the request of Sydney FC midfielder Anas Ouahim, joined this initiative.

‘When you don't drink or eat for so long, breaking your fast on time is essential; it helps you to hydrate, maybe eat a date or something small to recover energy,’ Ouahim said in an interview for the club after learning about the measures the league will take.

A rule that the FA Cup confirmed by means of an information sheet stating that players observing Ramadan will be allowed a brief break in the game to break their fast. He added: ‘An approximate time will be agreed for the break, and it will not be used as a rest to drink or to take a tactical break’. 

Among the list of Muslim players in the Premier League who practise Ramadan, the Egyptians Mohamed Salah, Liverpool striker, and Omar Marmoush, City striker, stand out, as well as City's Uzbek defender, Abdukodir Khuzanov, Manchester United's Moroccan defender, Noussair Mazraoui, and Fulham's Spanish winger, Adama Traoré.

With regard to the other major European leagues, the list is endless with more than 100 players observing Ramadan, including Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi of PSG, Arda Güler and Antonio Rüdiger of Real Madrid, Maroan Sannadi and Kenan Kodro of Athletic Bilbao, and Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona.