With Ramadan’s end fast approaching, there are just two more Premier League games that will have to pause for players to break their fast.
However, debate continues following the Leeds United vs Manchester City incident late last month, when fans were heard to boo during the short break.
During the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is a religious practice that sees the act of fasting from dawn until sunset.
Ramadan is set to finish on Thursday 19th of March which means that this weekend is the final Premier League weekend to fall into Ramadan. Two games will need to be paused: Chelsea vs Newcastle and Liverpool vs Tottenham.
Chelsea is set to host Newcastle at Stamford Bridge this Saturday at 5:30pm, with sunset expected to occur towards the end of the first half at 6:04pm.
Tottenham will travel to Liverpool to play them at Anfield at 4:30pm on Sunday, with sunset expected at 6:15pm. The Ramadan break will be in the final few minutes of the game, which could be a crucial time for both sides.
Some have argued that the Ramadan breaks should happen at half or full time, but others think they should be accommodated.
Will Jones, 39, head of sport at Teesside University said: “From a logistical point of view, it only takes a few minutes.
“I think there’s other precedents set in professional football as well where, for example, when there’s tournaments hosted over the summer in the US, where it’s very hot, they schedule water breaks for players.
“Obviously, there’s no kind of religious belief or anything like that there, but it’s purely from a player welfare, player safety, performance perspective.
“For me it’s not really any different. I appreciate that this is potentially aimed at fewer people who are observing Ramadan, but I don’t really see an issue with it.
“For the sake of a few minutes to allow them to refuel, it should be allowed. It should be welcomed, and it’s the right thing to do.”
This debate has been around for a while but intensified when Leeds United home fans were heard booing during a break in play for Manchester City’s Muslim players to break their fast on February 28th.
The screens around the stadium displayed a message saying, “as tonight’s match takes place during the holy period of Ramadan play has been paused briefly to allow players to break their fast”.
Ismail Hassan, a 22-year-old fourth year student at Teesside University, who partakes in Ramadan, said the precise timing of the break might be a source of frustration.
He added: “It’s kind of hard to make a judgement because when was the game stopped? When the ball went out for a throw in? Did it stop when they’re on a counterattack?”
Hassan went on to condemn the reaction as “disrespectful” and “salty kind of behaviour.”
He added: “If they had players that were Muslim and that needed the time, would that abuse have been the same? Or was it because none of the Leeds players needed it?”
Leeds United boss, Daniel Farke, later defended the fans saying that he doesn’t believe they were booing because of the break in play for the Muslim players, but because of belief that the pause was for different reasons.
Speaking to ESPN, he said: “I’m not sure everyone was aware – we had the topic of Pep [Guardiola] bringing players in to give a team talk – I think the supporters thought it was this.”
Simon Jordan, the former owner of Crystal Palace, also defended Leeds fans on talkSPORT, saying: “The default setting will be that it is centred on discrimination and racism rather than intolerance of the game being stopped by what’s considered to be the opposition.”
One fan, speaking to TUXtra, said: “I think substituting the players off who need to break their fast is a better way to go about it as it’s then done discreetly where fans can’t notice or complain.
“Completely pausing the game is obviously bound to rile players up and was a mistake on their part. Keep it discreet and silent without making a big deal about it in order for fans not to notice.”
