The referees in the Premier League and English Football Association (EFL) have reportedly been asked to pause evening matches in the United Kingdom during the holy month of Ramzan to allow Muslim players to break their fast.
According to the British “Sky Sports” network, the Referees Committee of the English Football Association (EFL) instructed the referees to allow the players to break their fast during the matches that will be held in the evening in Ramzan.
It is worth noting that some of the most known footballers in the country, including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, and Chelsea’s N’golo Kante, are expected to take part in the dawn-to-dusk fast that this month begins, in compliance with their faith.
As per media reports, the referees will give the players the opportunity to drink water or soft drinks when it is time to break the fast.
Before kick-off, officials will be encouraged to identify any players who may need to break their fast during the match.
It is noteworthy that the English Premier League competitions will witness three full rounds, in addition to six postponed matches throughout the month of Ramzan, with a total of 36 matches within three weeks.
The English Premier League previously witnessed a similar situation on April 26, 2021, when referee Graham Scott stopped the match between Leicester City and Crystal Palace in order to allow space for the players— Wesley Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyate o break the fast, but this was not on official instructions.
It was believed to be the first time that an English top-level fixture had been paused to allow Muslim players to eat and drink mid-game, with Fofana tweeting his thanks afterwards.
