“It has been brought to the attention of the Federation of match interruptions following the breaking of the Ramadan fast. These interruptions do not respect the provisions of the statutes of the FFF. “It is an email, addressed to the referees of France, sent Thursday and signed by Éric Borghini, boss of the Federal Commission of Referees, president of the Mediterranean League and member of the executive committee of the body. An email to remind its troops of the rules of the French Football Federation, a week after the start of this month devoted to daytime fasting in the Muslim religion.
The manager highlights article 1.1 of the FFF’s statutes which prevents “any discrimination because of (…) his political or religious convictions” and prohibits in particular “any act of proselytism or propaganda maneuver” on the grounds under penalty of “disciplinary and/or criminal proceedings”. The email also mentions the charter of ethics and deontology of football which recalls “that a football field, a stadium” are not places of political and religious expression.
“Philippe Diallo (interim president of the FFF) sent a letter a fortnight ago to all the presidents of Leagues and Districts to draw their attention to the importance of the scrupulous application of the first article of the statutes of the federation on respect for the principle of secularism in football, neutrality, non-discrimination, explains Éric Borghini to Parisian. The letter I sent to the referees extends that of the interim president of the FFF. »
“A time to play sports, a time to practice your religion”
“We have been told that a number of amateur level matches have been stopped to allow fasting players to hydrate, without the regulations allowing it, continues the person concerned. The idea is that there is a time for everything. A time to play sports, a time to practice religion. »
A screenshot of the email was relayed overnight from Thursday to Friday on Twitter by Mehdi Bahria, amateur referee in Essonne attached to the Paris-Ile de France League. In a post broadcast on the social network TikTok, the one who has officiated since 2019 on the lawns of the region criticizes what he sees as “a call to order” from his federation.
“They could have abstained and let us each manage it”, develops Mehdi Bahria, who claims to have already given short breaks in the past to the teams he refereed to allow Muslim players to break their fast, once at night fallen. “We don’t have religious debates on the lawn,” he continues. We interrupt the meeting for thirty seconds, just long enough to drink a little water and eat very quickly. And it doesn’t bother anyone. »
The Premier League has authorized a stoppage of its matches
Mehdi Bahria, like several Internet users on social networks, compares this email from the FFF and the decision taken this season in England to stop matches during the month of Ramadan to allow footballers of the Muslim faith to eat quickly to break up fasting if the game is played at sunset. The measure concerns the Premier League and the three lower divisions: the Championship, League One and League Two.
In France, the Professional Football League has not adopted a protocol, due to a lack of requests from its clubs. Several practicing players take advantage of certain breaks in play to drink or ingest an energy gel.
Article 1 of the statutes of the FFF is targeted by the League of Human Rights for “its obligation of neutrality, the scope of which is as general as it is absolute”. The LDH announced to seize the Council of State in February 2022 for a motion to set aside. “Perhaps he will be revoked, perhaps he will not be, the fact remains that for the moment it applies”, slice Éric Borghini.
