German football club Mainz suspended its Dutch player Anwar El Ghazi on Tuesday, over an “unacceptable” comment made by the winger player on the Israel-Hamas war in his social media post. The Bundesliga club said that El Ghazi took a stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas row which is considered unacceptable.The 28-year-old Ghazi joined Mainz last month and made the comment on Sunday night which has since been deleted, Mainz said. “Prior to making this decision, the club and the player had engaged in an in-depth discussion, ” the club added.+++ Mainz 05 stellt Anwar El Ghazi frei +++ pic.twitter.com/A8Fe8ytdeP— 1. FSV Mainz 05 (@1FSVMainz05) October 17, 2023 Mainz released statement on Anwar El GhaziThe statement from Mainz after translation read, “FSV Mainz 05 have relieved Anwar El Ghazi of his training and matchday-related duties.“The decision comes as a result of a since-deleted social media post from the 28-year-old that appeared on Sunday evening. In the post, El Ghazi took a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that was deemed unacceptable by the club.“Prior to making this decision, the club and the player had engaged in an in-depth discussion. Mainz 05 respects the fact that there are varying perspectives on the decades-long, complex conflict in the Middle East.“However, the club are distancing themselves from the content of the social media post in question, as it does not align with the values of the club.”The former Aston Villa player wrote on his Instagram post that he wished for the Palestinian victory in the conflict with Israel. Moreover, the statement does not indicate how long the suspension could last.
