Anwar El Ghazi has been suspended by Bundesliga club Mainz 05 after sharing a social media post about the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Palestine.
He has been suspended from training and matches by the German club due to the manner of the content he shared on social media.
Anwar El Ghazi joined Mainz 05 on a free transfer on September 22, 2023, and he has made 3 appearances for the club, scoring no goal and providing 1 assist across all competitions.
He released a now-deleted statement taking a stance with Palestine on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and it was deemed inappropriate by the club.
Anwar El Ghazi post on Instagram
An excerpt from his statement read: “When one side uses AI pictures to spread misinformation about another then it’s not war.
“When social media is censoring the content of one side and not the other then it’s not war.
“This isn’t a conflict and it’s not war.
“This is genocide and mass destruction and we’re witnessing it happen live.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”
Mainz 05 have distanced themselves from the position taken by the player and they released a lengthy statement to that effect.
Mainz 05 suspended Anwar El Ghazi
A part of the statement read: “Mainz 05 have relieved Anwar El Ghazi of his training and matchday-related duties”.
They also stated their reason for handing him an indefinite suspension, Mainz 05 wrote:
“In the post, El Ghazi took a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that was deemed unacceptable by the club.”
The 05ers also added that they respect the fact that there are contrasting views on the subject matter, but they are distancing themselves from Anwar El Ghazi’s post on Instagram.
They wrote: “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.”
Anwar El Ghazi has played for several notable clubs across Europe, namely; PSV Eindhoven, LOSC Lille, Ajax Amsterdam, Everton, and Aston Villa.
He was linked during the summer with a move to English giants Manchester United, due to the clubs’ issues on the wings.
El Ghazi represented PSV Eindhoven last season, making 32 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals and providing 3 assists across all competitions.
He left the Dutch club at the end of the 2022/23 season, and joined Mainz 05 on a free transfer.
The Dutchman has also represented the Netherlands, scoring no goal and providing 1 assist in 2 appearances.
El Ghazi has won 1 KNVB Cup title, 1 Johan Cruyff Shield and he won the 2019 EFL Championship playoffs with Aston Villa.
