Moslem Players in the Premier League

TEMPO.CO, London - When the Premier League started in 1992, there was only one Moslem footballer, Tottenham's Spanish midfielder Nayim. England's top division now features 40 Moslem players, having played a significant effect on the culture of the games.
Demba Ba, currently playing as Chelsea's forward, once scored for Newcastle and celebrated it by sinking to their knees in prayer. Today, Muslim footballers are provided with halal food, separate shower, as well as time and space for prayer.
The most recent event of change was when Yaya Toure, Manchester City's Midfielder, politely refused the champagne award for being the Man of the Match. Champagne was then phased out and now all players receive a small trophy instead.
However, challenges are ahead for Moslem players with Ramadhan as a pressure point. Clubs begin to worry if the players can perform at the highest level for over 90 minutes without eating or drinking for up to 18 hours of the day.
Some players insist on fasting every day. Others may fast during training but not on a match day. Clubs tend to muddle through with some kind of compromise, but it cannot be an easy period for players or managers.
Abou Diaby, Arsenal's midfielder, said "Arsenal would prefer me not to fast, but they understand this is a special moment for me and they try to accommodate things to make me better." Ba admitted that he had some issues with managers about Ramadan. "Every time I had a manager that was not happy with it [Ramadan], I always said: 'Listen, I'll do it. If my performance is still good, I'll keep playing; if it's bad you drop me on the bench, that's it."

source: http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2013/07/10/068495083/Moslem-Players-in-the-Premier-League