Is Ramadan and the practice of high-level sport compatible? In an interview with the magazine EsquireKarim Benzema provided part of the answer. “It has no impact. Ramadan is part of my life and my religion makes Ramadan an obligation. For me, it is very important and I feel good when I fast.” The other answer, the Real Madrid star brings on the pitch daily. His level of performance has not dropped one bit. Even better, he stacks the goals. The latest? That of the qualification, Tuesday, April 12, at Santiago Bernabeu against Chelsea in extra time (2-3).
In England, the Muslim Chaplains in Sport (MCS) group offers support to Premier League clubs before and during Ramadan. Several English teams are concerned, including Manchester United, to which Paul Pogba belongs. The midfielder has converted to Islam. “It made me change, achieve things in life. I guess, maybe, it makes me more peaceful inside (…) It came because I have a lot of friends Muslims (…) I was wondering about a lot of things, then I started to do my own research. I prayed once with my friends and I felt something different. I felt really good” .
Same thing for Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City, who has the full support of his team, Manchester City, or even Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, the two stars of Liverpool. The duo adapts their training in order to continue to perform throughout this period. In 2019, their coach, Jürgen Klopp said: “My players’ fasting isn’t a problem. I respect their religion, they’ve always been amazing whether they’re fasting or not.” Last year, the French defender of Leicester, Wesley Fofana, was able to break his fast in the middle of a meeting.
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Declan Puncheon