Mainz, a German football club, has suspended Dutch player Anwar El Ghazi after the winger actively supported Palestine on social media during the ongoing conflict between the country and Israel over control of Gaza.
After the uproar that followed the player’s opinion on the conflict, the club described El Ghazi’s social media post as “unacceptable.”
El Ghazi, who plays for the Dutch national team, was suspended by the club on Tuesday for statements he made in a “since-deleted” social media post over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Mainz acknowledged that there were differing viewpoints on the decades-long, complex struggle, but the player should not have stepped out publicly to take a side.
“El Ghazi took a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that was deemed unacceptable. Prior to making this decision, the club and the player had engaged in an in-depth discussion.”
The club, on the other hand, was “distancing themselves from the content of the social media post,” which did not “align with the club’s values.”
Mainz did not specify how long the suspension would remain in the announcement.
Comments