Leeds vs Man City halted for Ramadan break as fans boo and sing X-rated chants | Football | Sport

Loud boos could be heard at Elland Road as muslim players broke their fast during Leeds United and Manchester City’s Premier League clash on Saturday evening. The match was paused in the 13th minute to allow those observing Ramadan to take on fluids, with several players heading over to the touchline.

The break was pre-planned, and a message was displayed on the in-stadium scoreboard to explain what was going on. It read: “As tonight’s match takes place during the holy period of Ramadan, play has been paused to allow players to break their fast.”

The messaging didn’t appear to satisfty some inside Elland Road, as loud boos could be heard during the brief period play was stopped. They were met by chants of: “What the ******* hell was that,” while the players were having a drink.

Pep Guardiola was quizzed on the impact fasting can have on a player, with the City boss saying: “They follow these religious traditions and of course we have good nutritionists and they adapt to what the team needs. I think they’re used to it, they’re not young, they’re used to many, many years playing in this period.”

When asked on whether it will play a part in team selections, he added: “No, they are well taken care (of) and they know how to handle these situations.”

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There are several muslim players across the Premier League, with former Everton ace Abdoulaye Doucoure opening up about what it’s like during ramadan as a professional footballer. He told the BBC in 2023: “In the Premier League you are free to do whatever suits you. They will never do anything against your faith and this is great.

“I fast every day, I don’t miss any day. It has become normal and very easy for me. Training is still the same during Ramadan but when we go [for away matches], we might need to eat later than the others so the chef prepares food for us, making sure everything is in place as at home. We get halal food so there are no problems.”