BERLIN: German Bundesliga club Mainz on Wednesday reacted with “surprise and incomprehension” after player Anwar El Ghazi said he does “not regret” statements he made on the Israel-Hamas war.
The club suspended the Dutch international for a number of social media posts related to the conflict, but said Monday the player could return “soon” after he “explicitly distanced himself” from the statements.
El Ghazi, however, took to social media on Wednesday, saying “I do not regret or have any remorse for my position.”
“Any other statements, comments or apologies to the contrary attributed to me are not factually correct and have not been made or authorized by me.”
Mainz responded to El Ghazi’s posts on Wednesday, also on social media, saying the club would “examine the matter legally and then evaluate it.”
El Ghazi was suspended on October 17 for taking a “position on the conflict in the Middle East in a manner that wasn’t tolerable for the club,” Mainz said in a previous statement.
He had shared several posts on social media early in the conflict, including the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
The slogan is seen by some as a call for the destruction of Israel, while others say it appeals for equality for Palestinians and Israelis.
Mainz said Wednesday El Ghazi had “called in sick on Monday and was currently not in training.”
Mainz ‘surprised’ after El Ghazi expresses ‘no regrets’ for Israel-Gaza post
https://arab.news/2qa8g
Mainz ‘surprised’ after El Ghazi expresses ‘no regrets’ for Israel-Gaza post
- El Ghazi, however, took to social media on Wednesday, saying “I do not regret or have any remorse for my position”
- Mainz responded to El Ghazi’s posts on Wednesday, also on social media, saying the club would “examine the matter legally and then evaluate it”
Real Madrid handed shock home loss as Celta Vigo spring surprise
- Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins
MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.
Swedish substitute Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.
Real’s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran Garcia, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors’ goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.
Real defender Alvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home side’s frustrations boiled over.
It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellingham’s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappe.
Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta celebrated a first win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 19 years, leaving the Galician club with 19 points.
“With the team they have and their quality, it’s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,” said Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.”
Celta jumped from 14th to 10th while the defeat ended Real’s 100 percent home league record this season after six successive wins.
Xabi Alonso’s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandez’s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elche’s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.
