The ongoing crisis in Palestine and Israel is something that football clubs in general are trying to veer away from commenting on, and Mainz O5’s position has led to the club suspending one of their players, former Premier League star, Anwar El Ghazi, for his views.
It’s clear that the situation is incredibly sensitive on all sides, and therefore any proclamation of aligning with one side or the other is likely to lead to repercussions.
Everyone will have their own view it’s clear, though in the case of a high-profile sportsman or athlete, they’d be well advised to keep those views to themselves.
El Ghazi will undoubtedly be wishing he did after being suspended by Mainz just a month after joining and having played only three games for the Bundesliga outfit.
Mainz’s statement, when it was released, was clear and unequivocal and it leaves the player’s career hanging by a thread.
Mainz 05 suspend Anwar El Ghazi. pic.twitter.com/44m5HjtBOn
— Mainz 05 English (@Mainz05en) October 17, 2023
It isn’t clear if they will accept him back into the fold once any suspension has been served, or if they intend to cut all ties with the player once the furore surrounding his social media post, now deleted, has died down.
One thing that El Ghazi will need to bear in mind is that wherever he ends up, if anywhere, he will need to keep his political views to himself and just concentrate on that which he is paid handsomely (£24,000 per week at PSV Eindhoven according to Capology) to do.