Players who fast for Ramadan

[steveeeeeeeee]

Porto's sterile display against Arsenal tonight was beyond excuses but they've definitely been lacking in the creative department this season. One reason is that they've sold Ricardo Quaresma to Inter, the other is that Tarik Sektoui, their Moroccan international winger, is fasting for Ramadan and consequently is not able to play football during September.

I only found out the other day from an interview by another Muslim player in Portugal, Benfica's Yebda, who said he'd like to do it but doesn't feel the time is right with him just moving to a new club and needing to win his place in the first 11.

Anyway, Tarik can't be the only player missing from action over the last month, which other notable Muslim players have been fasting and out of action?

[DCI Harry Batt]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Why not? I mean, it's not really fasting, is it? It's just not eating in daylight. This time of year, is that really a big problem?

[Jon]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Real Madrid's Malian midfielder Mahamadou Diarra suffered a drastic loss of form last year which was put down to his fasting for Ramadam.

However, this year he's started the season really well. I'm not sure whether this means he decided to not fast this year or he's just got used to not eating.

But he has always played throughout the whole month - I must admit I didn't realise there were players who took the whole month off.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Players who fast for Ramadan

TonTon wrote:

Why not? I mean, it's not really fasting, is it? It's just not eating in daylight. This time of year, is that really a big problem?

Depends where you live I suppose, doesn't get dark here until just after 8. Got no idea what time the sun rises.

[mafu]

Players who fast for Ramadan

youssef safri apparently observed (if that is the right word) ramadan when playing for norwich. some people claimed his form dipped at the time, but he was quite capable of not doing all that much in other periods of the year too

[Bored Of Education]

Players who fast for Ramadan

I always thought that Anelka fasted and I have heard that Freddie Kanoute does

[Mumpo]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Why not? I mean, it's not really fasting, is it? It's just not eating in daylight.

Or drinking. I would imagine it's far from the ideal preparation for the toils of an evening game.

[Taylor]

Players who fast for Ramadan

steveeeeeeeee wrote:

I only found out the other day from an interview by another Muslim player in Portugal, Benfica's Yebda, who said he'd like to do it but doesn't feel the time is right with him just moving to a new club and needing to win his place in the first 11.

Fucking hell, Allah will love that.

[Outside Agent]

Players who fast for Ramadan

When Moussa Saib was at Spurs in 1998 there was talk of him fasting come Ramadan. I'm not sure whether it was an issue regarding his place in the team, given that September saw Christian Gross sacked, and I don't think he ever featured for Spurs again.

[ursus arctos]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Mohammed Sissoko was quoted here recently as attributing a drop in form to the fact that he is fasting for Ramadan, and it makes sense to me that the impact would be greater on a player who is expected to run a lot and make frequent challenges.

The fact that his explanation was generally appreciated by Juventini (he continues to have been an excellent acquisition for them) was cheering to me, especially given the rising tide of xenophobia that plagues much of Italian public discourse.

The number of practicing Muslims in the French league is rather high, and my sense is that it has become somewhat of a non-event there.

[AMMS]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Brahim Hemdani at Rangers apparently does, with the abundance of Scottish cuisine around him this must really test his faith. He hasn't been in the first team recently either.

I understand many of the first team observe a reverse Ramadan where they only consume fluids after dark, often into the early hours and with some gusto.

[Guest]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Mido fasted at Spurs and it probably helped keep his weight in check. I'm pretty sure Nourredine Naybet did likewise as well as Hossam Ghaly. Not sure Kanoute did at Spurs. Can't say it obviously affected them as Naybet was pretty much at the end of his career, Ghaly didn't play much anyway and Mido wasn't all that anyway.

[Zorg the Leveller]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Converted muslim Nathan Ellington does, or certainly did last season at Watford during which period he was largely confined to the bench.

At the time, it was mentioned in the local press that Nicolas Anelka does also.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Paxton Sprout wrote:

Mido fasted at Spurs and it probably helped keep his weight in check. I'm pretty sure Nourredine Naybet did likewise as well as Hossam Ghaly. Not sure Kanoute did at Spurs. Can't say it obviously affected them as Naybet was pretty much at the end of his career, Ghaly didn't play much anyway and Mido wasn't all that anyway.

Right now, one has to wonder whether the entire Spurs squad has converted to Islam.

[JVL]

Players who fast for Ramadan

In a recent issue of 11 Freunde, there was an interesting article about Bundesliga players fasting during Ramadan.

It's only in German, but I could put up a translation if anyone's interested...

[Guest]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Spearmint Rhino wrote:

[b]
Right now, one has to wonder whether the entire Spurs squad has converted to Islam.

Can't confirm that but I can say with confidence that there is a lot of praying at White Hart Lane these day.

[Sam]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Taylor wrote:

steveeeeeeeee wrote:

I only found out the other day from an interview by another Muslim player in Portugal, Benfica's Yebda, who said he'd like to do it but doesn't feel the time is right with him just moving to a new club and needing to win his place in the first 11.

Fucking hell, Allah will love that.

I doubt God has that much of a problem with it. A huge amount (I would say 'the majority' but I'm aware of how I'd get jumped on for exact statistics etc.) of Muslim clerics and teachers hold that whilst Ramadan is something all Muslims should try to observe, it's not something one should endanger one's health or livelihood for. Like every religion, Islam's a lot more flexible than it's made out to be with things like this. I mean, Yebda probably didn't make his decision lightly when you think about it.

As for it not being that difficult at this time of year (as someone else mentioned above - TonTon?), one of my Muslim friends a couple of nights ago suggested to me that I might want to join her (in spirit - she lives in Birmingham at the moment) in fasting. It would have involved getting up at 5:30 or 6 and eating an enormous breakfast (finishing by 7ish when the sun rises), then no food at all until the sun set at 6:30pmish. So even at 'this time of year' in England it sounds rather too much work for me to bother with frankly. I told her I wouldn't joining in, naturally.

Apologies for sticking a 'World' post into Football, but y'know, this is where the thread is...

[Sam]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Oh and JVL, I'd be interested in a translation of that 11Freunde article. Only if it's not too much trouble.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Yeah, I was thinking a bit more about Tarik's situation today. Almost all of Porto's games kick off between 7 and 9pm depending on the fixture. So, if Tarik were to play, it would mean he hadn't had a bite to eat since breakfast, which was probably finished some 12 hours or more earlier.

[Senor DingDong]

Players who fast for Ramadan

steveeeeeeeee wrote:

Porto's sterile display against Arsenal tonight was beyond excuses but they've definitely been lacking in the creative department this season. One reason is that they've sold Ricardo Quaresma to Inter, the other is that Tarik Sektoui, their Moroccan international winger, is fasting for Ramadan and consequently is not able to play football during September.

I only found out the other day from an interview by another Muslim player in Portugal, Benfica's Yebda, who said he'd like to do it but doesn't feel the time is right with him just moving to a new club and needing to win his place in the first 11.

Anyway, Tarik can't be the only player missing from action over the last month, which other notable Muslim players have been fasting and out of action?

Ricardo Quaresma has been poor since he joined Inter, fair enough he has only played a few games but I expected alot more from him in the games I've seen. I just know he is going to be a bad signing for Inter. And I didn't realise that he was so small aswell. Why was Jose so adamant on getting him considering Moratti didn't want him?

[EIM]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Farsley Celtic's captain Amjad Iqbal passed out on the pitch during the Celtic derby in Stalybridge the other day. It was apparently an unusually sunny day for October, and he collapsed on the field through exhaustion.

He made a good point about next year's Ramadan being in August. The heat could make it very dangerous and difficult for any fasting players.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Senor DingDong wrote:

Ricardo Quaresma has been poor since he joined Inter, fair enough he has only played a few games but I expected alot more from him in the games I've seen. I just know he is going to be a bad signing for Inter. And I didn't realise that he was so small aswell. Why was Jose so adamant on getting him considering Moratti didn't want him?

He hasn't been in great form for a good year or so Senor, which is why Porto were so keen to sell him. The general belief is that a move to Inter would give him the kick up the arse he needs. However, it does take him a good six months to settle, his effectiveness is all down to creating an understanding with the striker who can time their run to match his trademark "trivella" cross.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Players who fast for Ramadan

Here some of the clubs ban there players from fasting, Mesut Bakkal at Genclerbirligi is one who did while he was at Gaziantepsor.
This year due to the heat rather than Ramadan the Super League games all kicked off after the fast was broken. In previous years no allowances were seemingly made.

Some players do fast for sure even if the club tries to dissuade them.