Bundesliga Mainz 05
After being fired for anti-Israel posts – El Ghazi is apparently suing Mainz
As of: 6:04 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
Anwar El Ghazi had even been pardoned by the people of Mainz. Now both parties are meeting in court
Source: AFP/OLAF KRAAK
Anwar El Ghazi is apparently taking legal action against his dismissal from Mainz 05. The striker was released by the Bundesliga club after several anti-Israel posts. His lawyer sees the contributions as covered by freedom of expression.
According to information from the “Allgemeine Zeitung”, the Dutch-Moroccan professional Anwar El Ghazi is said to have filed a dismissal protection claim with the Mainz labor court against the Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05. This would be his reaction to the immediate termination of his contract, which runs until the summer of 2025. There was initially no response from the club when asked. Mainz 05 felt compelled to do so because the 28-year-old striker had repeatedly published pro-Palestinian Instagram posts.
According to the newspaper, El Ghazi is represented by labor and sports lawyer Alexander Bergweiler, who had already expressed doubts that the dismissal without notice was legal. The professional was initially warned by the club for an anti-Israel post. In another post, El Ghazi indirectly contradicted a message from Mainz 05 that he had shown remorse.
“I don’t see any statement in the new post that is not covered by freedom of expression,” Bergweiler told the newspaper two weeks ago after the case became known. The lawyer will now represent El Ghazi, the report said.
El Ghazi’s controversial posts
The starting point was El Ghazi’s first post in mid-October. After the attack on Israel by terrorists on behalf of Hamas on October 7th, he wrote in an Instagram post that was then deleted: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” What this means is that Palestine extends from the Jordan to the Jordan Mediterranean should expand. This, in a sense, denies Israel its right to exist.
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Mainz’s sports director Christian Heidel had sorted out the issue from the club’s side shortly before the termination. “I think each of you has noticed by now: This no longer has anything to do with football and sport. This is a highly political issue. This is a legal and labor issue,” he said during a press conference. “This is a case that has never happened before at Mainz 05. I deeply regret it. But nobody at Mainz 05 can do anything about it.”
