In a recent report, Sky Sports have exclusively revealed that the Premier League match officials have been told to pause matches to allow Muslim players to break their fast during the holy period of Ramadan.
Premier League To Allow Muslim Players To Break Fast During Ramadan
Some of the league’s most famous and decorated stars including Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, are expected to fast during this crucial time of self-reflection for Muslims as they will abstain from eating or drinking during the daylight hours.
The Premier League are set to allow Muslim players to break their fast after sunset with a lot of their games scheduled to take place in the evening over the next month.
The match officials have now been instructed to allow a pause in play and let the players break their fast by consuming liquids or energy gels or supplements. They have also been guided to identify any players who may need to break their fast during the game prior to kick-off so that they can decide a rough time for this to take place.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims across the world see this holy period as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. It will begin on Wednesday evening (March 22, 2023) and will conclude, on the evening of Friday, April 21, 2023.
The Premier League is set to return after the international break with Manchester City taking on Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on April 1st.
The Premier League should be applauded for coming to such a decision. In 2021, Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana acknowledged the league for allowing him to break fast during Ramadan. Now that the league has decided to make it official, it will only help Muslim players to cope with the pressure of performing at their peak on the field during this holy period.
