Pep Guardiola urged “respect” for cultural and religious diversity after a Ramadan fast break was booed during Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Leeds United at Elland Road.
Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki took fluids during a brief stoppage in the 12th minute, while Abdukodir Khusanov, also observing Ramadan, remained on the City bench.
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During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast daily from dawn until sunset. In recent seasons, the Premier League has permitted short breaks after sunset to allow fasting players to rehydrate and replenish energy.
“It’s the modern world,” Guardiola said. “Respect the religion, respect the diversity. That is the point. The Premier League said, ‘OK for the fasting, you can have one or two minutes,’ so we did that for the players.”
Guardiola recently spoke out on humanitarian crises linked to conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan, reinforcing his stance on social and global issues beyond football.
Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out said the reaction inside Elland Road, in a city home to one of Britain’s largest Muslim communities, showed there remains “a long way to go in terms of education and acceptance”.
In a statement, Kick It Out said, “It’s massively disappointing that some Leeds United fans booed when Manchester City’s players broke their fast during the first half of the match at Elland Road.
“This was compounded by the fact that an explanation was displayed on a big screen inside the stadium.”
