The Algerian footballer is ABANDONED by French club Nantes for refusing to break his Ramadan fast on match day, whose manager previously said it was ‘forbidden’ for his players not to eat or drink before matches.
Nantes manager Antoine Kombouare controversially sacked one of his players for refusing to eat and drink on match day.
The French club’s coach left defender Jaouen Hadjam out of the squad this weekend for Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Reims.
Hadjam, 20, who has made nine appearances since joining from second division Paris FC in January, refuses to break his Ramadan fast on match day for religious reasons.
And Kombouare insisted that it was not a punishment, but that he wanted to protect his player from injury.
He said: ‘Jaouen? There is no controversy. It’s his choice and I respect that. This is not a punishment, but I have a framework.
Antoine Kombouare of Nantes ruled out one of his players for refusing to break a match-day fast
Defender Jaouen Hadjam did not play against Reims on Sunday after Kombouare’s decision
The left back does not eat or drink on the day of home games due to Ramadan
Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Kombouare insisted he just wants his player to avoid injury
‘During the week, there are no problems with fasting players. I am ready to support them if necessary. We know that this is not an easy time.
‘But on game day, you shouldn’t fast. And those who fast are not in the squad. I don’t want them to pick up an injury.
Up-and-coming French-born left-back Hadjam, who made his debut for Algeria in a 1-0 win against Niger on Monday, has agreed to break his fast for away games but not for home games.
He appeared in the club’s 1-1 draw at Lyon on March 17, but that stance would also see him miss the Coupe de France semi-final at home on April 5.
Kombouare, 59, who managed Paris Saint-Germain between 2009 and 2011, revealed that Hadjam’s teammates had agreed to break their fast so they could play against Will Still’s Reims.
Earlier this week, the French FA announced that matches would not be paused to allow Muslim players to break their fast.
That is in contrast to the Premier League, which is allowing games to be temporarily halted to allow Muslim stars to eat and drink small amounts. Ramadan ends on April 20.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah refused to drink from a bottle of water handed to him after being substituted during the Reds’ 4-1 defeat against Manchester City on Saturday in the midst of his Ramadan fast.