Leeds supporters inside Elland Road were left furious on Saturday night when their clash against Man City was halted to allow the Muslim stars involved in the game to break their Ramadan fast.
The game was paused after 12 minutes as part of a pre-agreed measure to help those players who are fasting from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, which runs from February 17 to March 19.
As City stars Rayan Ait-Nouri, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki headed over to the touchline to refuel, boos rang around Elland Road from a significant section of fans, while the visiting side were also whistled when they came over to the side of the pitch.
A message then came up on the big screen at Elland Road which read: ‘As tonight’s match takes place during the holy period of Ramadan, play has been paused briefly to allow players to break their fast.’
Cherki, Ait-Nouri and Marmoush could all be seen taking on fluids during the stoppage.
Abdukodir Khusanov, who was named as a substitute by Pep Guardiola, is also Muslim.
The Premier League and EFL confirmed earlier month that Ramadan breaks would be used in matches again this season to allow players to break their fast.
Given sunset in the UK ranges from around 5PM to 7PM, the only games that are affected will likely be 5:30PM kick-offs on a Saturday and the top flight’s 4:30PM kick-off on a Sunday.
The protocol for these breaks sees teams and match officials discuss beforehand whether a pause is required, before they settle on an approximate time when the stoppage will take place. This can sometimes be agreed by club captains and officials.
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