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
