Bundesliga club suspend ex-Premier League star for pro-Palestine message
Tom Weber
- Updated: 17 Oct 2023 13:05 CDT
- 3 min read
Bundesliga side Mainz have suspended former Premier League attacker Anwar El Ghazi for a pro-Palestine social media post.
El Ghazi, formerly of Everton, Aston Villa and Eredivisie giants Ajax and PSV, only recently signed for Jurgen Klopp's former team after a short stint as a free agent during which he was linked with a move to Manchester United. The 28-year-old featured in three games for Mainz before being suspended.
On his social accounts, El Ghazi had shown solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for national self-determination amid the ongoing conflict with Israel. A Dutchman with Moroccan roots, El Ghazi initially changed the profile picture on his social accounts to the Palestinian flag before sharing a message that contained the popular phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
READ: Tobido in hot water after LAUGHING during Israel minute's silence
This phrase essentially means that the Palestinian people will eventually reclaim the land that has been systematically taken from them since the creation of Israel in 1948, a process that began even before the country's founding.
Sharing this on his accounts prompted a strong reaction from his club as the issue of Israeli statehood (for obvious historical reasons) is a touchy subject in Germany and the post could easily, it is argued in German media, be interpreted as El Ghazi supporting Hamas' terrorist attacks.
Mainz statement
The club released a statement that read: "1. FSV Mainz 05 has today suspended Anwar El Ghazi from his training and match duties. The suspension is a reaction to a now-deleted social media post published on Sunday evening by the 28-year-old."
"In said post, El Ghazi had voiced his opinion on the conflict in the Near East in a manner that the club could not tolerate. Prior to the suspension, a lengthy conversation between the board and the player had taken place."
READ: Liverpool join Chelsea in race for German wonderkid
"Mainz 05 respects that there are different opinions on the decades-old, complex conflict in the Near East. However, the club distances itself strongly from the content of the post as it is not in line with the values of our club."
Trending
Read more about: Bundesliga, Premier League, Aston Villa, Everton, Mainz 05, Man Utd, Anwar El Ghazi
