The Bundesliga team has suspended Anwar El Ghazi, a winger for Mainz, for making a social media post about the ongoing Israel-Ghaza crisis.
The club banned the Dutch football player from practices and matches after he “took a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that was deemed unacceptable,” according to a statement from the Bundesliga team.
The phrase “Palestine will be free” was part of El Ghazi’s social media post before it was deleted from his Instagram story.
In a statement posted, the club explained: ‘Prior to making this decision, the club and the player had engaged in an in-depth discussion.
‘Mainz 05 respect the fact that there are varying perspectives on the decades-long, complex conflict in the Middle East.
‘However, the club are distancing themselves from the content of the social media post in question, as it does not align with the values of the club.’
El Ghazi, who has represented the Netherlands twice at senior international level, joined Mainz in September following spells with Ajax, Lille, Villa, Everton, and PSV. He completed the transfer after being linked with a move to Manchester United.