Ligue 1 Match Pause Sparks Debate Over Ramadan Accommodations

This extended break was observed after an Angevin player, Himad Abdelali, was injured and remained on the ground in the 13th minute of the match against Monaco on Saturday, which allowed all the players of both teams to hydrate and regain strength before continuing the match.

By hydrating like their teammates during this interruption, the Muslim players only seized this opportunity to break their Ramadan fast, explains Saphir News, stressing that contrary to rumors, it was not an interruption to allow players of Muslim faith to break their fast.

In reality, this controversy was unwarranted. Yet several right-wing and far-right political figures rushed to denounce what they consider a violation of the principle of secularism.

Before kick-off, the staffs of the two teams had requested a stoppage of play to break the fast, reports RMC Sport. But the central referee rejected this request, recalling that the regulations of the French Football Federation (FFF) prohibit this break, in the name of the "principle of neutrality of football on the places of practice."