On October 17, Anwar El Ghazi was suspended by Mainz following his position in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He was not allowed to train and play with the German team. Two weeks later, Mainz published a new press release about the former LOSC player.
“Anwar El Ghazi was warned by FSV Mainz 05 for posting a message on social media two weeks ago. The 28-year-old Dutchman commented on the conflict in the Middle East in a way that was intolerable for the club. After the publication, the club immediately released its player from training and matches. Since then, during several conversations with club management, El Ghazi has distanced himself from his publication on his Instagram account. A publication that he himself deleted after just a few minutes. He regretted the publication of the article and its negative impact, particularly for the entire club. In this context, El Ghazi also clearly distanced himself from terrorist acts such as those of Hamas, which two weeks ago led to a new escalation of violence in the Middle East. He underlined his sympathy with the victims of this attack as well as with all the victims of this conflict. He made it clear that he was not questioning Israel’s right to exist (…) In the context of El Ghazi’s commitment and the remorse he has shown, the club’s culture of error management requires that the player be given a chance to rehabilitate. Anwar El Ghazi will therefore resume training and matches at FSV Mainz 05 as soon as possible.” The case is closed.
