Nadine Osman
Referees were warned not to stop games to allow Muslim players to break their fast-during Ramadan, according to a leaked email sent by the French Football Federation (FFF).
‘The Federation has been made aware of match interruptions allowing the breaking of the Ramadan fast. These interruptions violate the provisions of the FFF’s statutes,’ begins the email signed by President of the Federal Commission of Referees at the FFF, Éric Borghini.
In the email leaked online by an amateur referee, the Federation justifies this reminder by highlighting Article 1 of its statutes. This specifies that ‘the Federation and its decentralised bodies, as bodies entrusted with a public service mission delegated by the state, defend the fundamental values of the French Republic’.
As such, it prohibits ‘any speech or posting of a political, ideological, religious, or union nature’, like ‘any act of proselytism or propaganda manoeuvre.’ The email also evokes the football charter of ethics and deontology, which recalls ‘that football fields are not places of political and religious expression.’
When questioned by the Parisian, Borghini defended the ban. He said, “The idea is that there is a time for everything, a time to play sports and a time to practise your religion.”
According to him, the FFF has been informed that “several amateur-level matches have been stopped to allow fasting players to hydrate” and this, “without the regulations allowing it” he added, recalling “the scrupulous application of the first article of the statutes of the federation on the demanding respect for the principle of secularism in football”.
Borghini stated that he sent the email in response to a letter sent by the FFF’s acting President, Philippe Diallo, at the start of Ramadan to all league and division presidents, reminding them of the “importance of the scrupulous application of the first article of the federation’s statutes on the respect of the principle of secularism in football, neutrality, and non-discrimination.”
French officials’ move contrasts sharply with Premier League officials’ instruction to referees to pause games so players can eat and drink.
Match officials in England’s four professional divisions have been asked to halt evening matches so Muslim players can t4ake liquids, energy gels, and supplements. English teams were also advised to agree on a rough time for the brief stoppage with the referee before kick-off.
French international and Aston Villa full-back Lucas Digne, a 46-time national team player, responded to the claims. Digne, posting on his Twitter account, responded by suggesting that the federation was living in the past. He wrote ‘2023’ alongside three face-palming emojis.
Meanwhile, Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure claimed the Premier League was “the best league for Muslims to be in.”
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans also denounced the FFF. During their match against Olympique Lyon on April 2 the fans unfurled a banner reading ‘A date, a glass of water, the nightmare of the FFF.”
When questioned about the break-fast ban at a press conference on March 31, Didier Digard, the coach of Nice, said, “We know England; we know that they are more open than us on the subject, and it always has been. It would be nice if France did it, but it doesn’t worry anyone that they don’t, because we are not in a Muslim country. You have to accept the country in which you live”, he added.
In Nice, many Muslim players observe Ramadan, and, according to Digard, this is not a problem. He also recalled that Nice would only play twice during the fasting period, April 2 and 16, with two matches scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
The rest are “matches at 9:00 p.m., the fast will already be broken,” said Digard, referring to the match against Paris SG and the two confrontations against Basel in the quarterfinals of the Europa League Conference.
“We support them as much as possible. We have a high-quality performance department. They are monitored in terms of food and hydration. They do it (fasting, editor’s note) out of conviction, and that makes things easier”, he said.
(Photo credit: WikiCommons)
