These discussions will help ensure Muslim players get to break their fast even if its mid-match.
These discussions will help ensure Muslim players get to break their fast even if its mid-match.
In an encouraging and groundbreaking move, the Premier League is encouraging referees to speak to the captains of both teams pre-match about allowing Muslim players to break their Ramadan fast while playing.
There are already rules in place to pause the match if it has been pre-arranged by both captains and officials, and this new move will help ensure Muslim players in the Premier League get to quickly break their fast on a formal basis during the match.
On Monday, this scenario was played out during the Leicester City vs Crystal Palace match, where Wesley Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyate both took energy gels at the side of the field during the first half of the match when it was time to break their fast, with the Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita even delaying a goal kick to allow them to break their fast.
This incident is said to be the first time a Premier League game was paused to allow players to break their Ramadan fast in the middle of a match.
Fofana later thanked those who helped and allowed him and Kouyate to break their fast in the middle of a match, stating that this powerful gesture was “what makes football wonderful”.
