1. FSV Mainz 05 has terminated the contract with its player Anwar El Ghazi after his pro-Palestinian posts on social media. The Dutchman was “terminated with immediate effect,” the Bundesliga club said in a short statement. A few hours earlier, sports director Christian Heidel had described the process surrounding the criticized contributions as a “highly political issue”.
The Koblenz Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that an investigation had been started against El Ghazi: “According to our assessment, there is initial suspicion against the accused of disturbing the public peace by endorsing crimes in conjunction with incitement to hatred by disseminating content.”
After the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, El Ghazi wrote in an Instagram post that was then deleted: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” This expression, which has anti-Semitic connotations, negates Israel’s right to exist, as no space is left for the Israeli state between the Jordan and the Mediterranean.
Suspension, distancing, return, distancing, termination
The post was initially followed by a suspension before the professional was allowed to return to the squad. A statement at the time said he had distanced himself from his statements.
However, El Ghazi surprisingly denied the claim that he had backed away from his contribution. He did not authorize the association’s statement on this. “I do not distance myself from what I said and stand for humanity and on the side of the oppressed until the last day I breathe,” El Ghazi wrote on the social network. According to the club, he was missing in the week of the cup game at Hertha BSC (0:3) because he was “on sick leave”. El Ghazi only moved to Mainz 05 in September as a previously out-of-contract professional.
“It has nothing to do with football and sport anymore”
Sports director Heidel announced that he would no longer make any statements on the topic. “I think each of you has noticed by now: This has nothing to do with football and sport anymore. This is a highly political issue. This is a legal and labor law 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.”
1. FSV Mainz 05 has terminated the contract with its player Anwar El Ghazi after his pro-Palestinian posts on social media. The Dutchman was “terminated with immediate effect,” the Bundesliga club said in a short statement. A few hours earlier, sports director Christian Heidel had described the process surrounding the criticized contributions as a “highly political issue”.
The Koblenz Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that an investigation had been started against El Ghazi: “According to our assessment, there is initial suspicion against the accused of disturbing the public peace by endorsing crimes in conjunction with incitement to hatred by disseminating content.”
