Pep Guardiola has responded to the booing of a halt in play during Saturday's Premier League contest between Leeds United and Manchester City which allowed Muslim players to break their Ramadan fast.
As reported by The Guardian, Guardiola has condemned those booing and called on all football fans to “respect religion and diversity”.
Guardiola condemns booing of Ramadan break
Guardiola has spoken out against those booing the break during Saturday's contest at Elland Road, in which Muslim players were able to break their Ramadan fast.
Play was briefly halted in the 13th minute in Yorkshire, with a message displayed on the stadium's big screen explaining the stoppage and its cause.
Such a break was met by audible jeers and boos, with the Manchester City boss going on to condemn such responses after his side's 1-0 win.
“It is a modern world, right?” He began, “[You see] what is happening in the world today. Respect religion, diversity, that is the point. The Premier League says you can have one or two minutes, you can have for the [fasting] players to do it [break their fast]. It is what it is, unfortunately.”
“We took on a little bit of vitamins because [Rayan] Cherki, [Rayan] Aït-Nouri did not eat today. No more than that. The question is, can they do it or not? What is the problem?”.
He previously spoke ahead of the weekend's game around the tough circumstances his Muslim players face, saying: “They follow this religious tradition. We have good nutritionists and they adapt to what the team needs. We cannot adapt the schedule for the Premier League [kick-off] times and I think they are used to it – they are not young and have been playing [for] many years during this period”.
Charity groups express disappointment
In a statement released in response to the boos and jeers heard at Elland Road, anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said: “It is massively disappointing that some Leeds United fans jeered when Manchester City’s players broke their fast during the first half of the match at Elland Road. This was compounded by the fact that an explanation was displayed on a big screen inside the stadium.”
“Pausing the game to allow Muslim players to break their fast during Ramadan has been an agreed protocol for several years now.”
“It’s an important and visible part of making the game welcoming for Muslim players and communities. But as tonight’s reaction shows, football still has a long way to go in terms of education and acceptance.”
FGG says: Disappointing response in strive for equality in football
The brief halting of football games for the benefit of Muslim footballers breaking fast in a meaningful religious period is a progressive move and one that should be welcomed in the English game.
While many home fans may also be left horrified by the responses of the minority, it is the vocal few that take the headlines, showing that there is still a long way to go in making the game truly welcoming to other cultures.