in France, the ban on breaks for Ramadan is debated

“A date, a glass of water, the nightmare of the FFF”. The banner of the Collectif Ultras Paris, Sunday April 2 at the Parc des Princes, scathingly targeted the position of the French Football Federation on Ramadan. The ban on interrupting matches to allow Muslim players to break the fast in France this weekend animated a debate that does not exist, or little, in the other European championships.

The subject came into the news after the referees were sent a reminder of the rules on Thursday. Match interruptions related to breaking the fast, in the evening, “do not respect the provisions of the statutes of the FFF”according to the French authority. “The idea is that there is a time for everything. A time to play sports, a time to practice your religion”, justified Eric Borghini, president of the Federal Commission of Arbitrators, to AFP. For this member of the FFF’s executive committee, it’s simply a question of “the scrupulous application of the first article of the statutes of the federation on the demanding respect for the principle of secularism in football”.

The English example

The football community has since revived the old and regular debate on what French secularism should be: the freedom to worship freely, or the primacy of common rules over religious beliefs. “In 2023, we can stop a match for 20 minutes for decisions, but not a minute to drink water”, sighed on social networks Lucas Digne, the French side of Aston Villa. In England, breaks are tolerated to allow Muslim players to break the fast during the month of Ramadan, which began on March 22.

This has also been the case for the first time in recent days in the Dutch league, while in Germany the boss of referees at the Federation announced last year that he supported those who would decide to grant this kind of break. In Italy and Spain, no provision is planned but the debate has not been opened: the Moroccan Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina) for example took advantage of the entry of the healers on the lawn to feed, Saturday evening.

In the Premier League, the use of breaks has existed for two years, under the impetus of Frenchman Wesley Fofana and Senegalese Cheikhou Kouyaté, players of Leicester and Crystal Palace at the time, who took the time to eat in the middle of a match. . “I was born in France and worked there, but there is a big difference between France and England. The English set a good example”estimated Abdoulaye Doucouré, Malian midfielder of Everton, at the BBC. across the Channel, “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 do it”commented Friday Didier Digard, the coach of Nice.

Health Vigilance

Among the Aiglons, where many players are doing Ramadan, the only point of vigilance concerns the state of form of the players, possibly weakened by the period of fasting, according to the young technician. “We support them as best as possible. We have a high-quality performance center. They are monitored in terms of food and hydration”detailed Digard.

At FC Rouen, first in its group in National 2 (the equivalent of the 4th division), ten players are concerned and the speech is the same. “The players have been used to fasting for many years so it’s not a problem for them”says coach Maxime D’Ornano to AFP. “On our side with the staff, the only difference is on the vigilance to have with the players concerned during this period so as not to go to exhaustion”.

In Nantes, players of the Muslim faith are exempt from meals together and from the second training session, on days with a double session. “There is support, there is listening”says Antoine Kombouaré. But “on the day of the match, you must not fast. There is a lot of intensity, you have to be ready. And those who fast are not in the group. I do not want them to get injured”added the Nantes coach to justify the non-convocation of Jaouen Hadjam, Sunday against Reims.