Anwar El Ghazi suspended by German club Mainz for pro-Palestinian social media post

Anwar El Ghazi (right) played for Aston Villa for four years from 2018 to 2022. Photo: Getty Images/Alex Grimm

Former Aston Villa and Everton midfielder Anwar El Ghazi has been suspended by his German club for what they called his «unacceptable» pro-Palestinian stance.

Bundesliga team Mainz 05 responded to a now-deleted Instagram post which the former Dutch international called «genocide and mass destruction» following the escalation of violence in the Middle East.

El-Ghazi's message ended with the line: «From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Mainz released a statement saying that El Ghazi's sentiments did not reflect the sentiments of the club and they were forced to take disciplinary action.

«FSV Mainz has relieved Anwar El Ghazi of his training and playing duties days,” the statement said. . “The decision was made as a result of a deleted social media post by the 28-year-old on Sunday evening. In his post, El Ghazi outlined a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that the club found unacceptable.

“The player and club held in-depth discussions before making a decision. Mainz 05 respects the fact that there are different points of view on the long-standing complex conflict in the Middle East. However, the club distances itself from the content of the social media post in question as it is not in line with the club's values.”

After deleting the original post, El Ghazi attempted to clarify his intentions. on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I have recently received several negative messages regarding my social media posts.

“I want to make it clear that I stand for peace above all else. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all the innocent victims and those still missing, as well as the communities affected by this situation. Every person, whether in Palestine or anywhere else, has the right to security, a loving home and opportunities for growth. I call for greater empathy, deepening our knowledge of the history of this conflict is vital before we hate and slander everyone who spoke out about injustice in Palestine.»

El Ghazi played for Villa for four times. between 2018 and 2022 before a brief move to Goodison Park where he made just two appearances. He only joined Mainz in September after being linked with a shock move to Manchester United.

Earlier on Tuesday, United legend Eric Cantona released a statement on social media expressing his support for the innocent victims fighting.

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“Defending Palestinian rights does not mean you support Hamas,” Cantona wrote on Instagram.