Midfielder Mahamadou Diawara has left from France’s under-19 squad following information that the French Football Federation (FFF) has imposed stringent regulations stopping Muslim players from fasting during Ramadan while training with the national team, as reported by sources to ESPN.
Diawara, after hearing about the regulations felt disquieted and decided to stop his participation in the squad. Sources from ESPN reveal that these regulations apply from the U16 level up to the senior team, prompting Diawara to return to his club, Lyon. The FFF has officially acknowledged Diawara’s departure and has enlisted Dehmaine Tabibou Assoumani from Nantes as his replacement.
Addressing the issue, FFF president Philippe Diallo stated in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro that he has enacted fresh guidelines concerning fasting during Ramadan while representing France. Diallo argued that a “principle of neutrality” is enshrined in the organization’s founding statutes, asserting that these measures are aimed at preventing religion from interfering with athletic pursuits.
Under the new French Football Federation regulations, players summoned to French national teams are prohibited from observing fasting during Ramadan. Instead, they are expected to adhere to the standard operational rhythms of the team’s activities.
Players observing Ramadan, which commenced between March 10-11 and is anticipated to conclude around April 10, will not be allowed to fast while training at the Clairefontaine base camp and must compensate for missed fasting days at the conclusion of the religious observance.
At the beginning of the international break, every French national team head coach, from U16 coach Lionel Rouxel to senior head coach Didier Deschamps, communicated these new regulations to their respective players.
“Some players are not happy with this decision,” an agent representing a number of players in a number of France’s youth and senior sides told ESPN. “They believe that their religion is not respected and that they are not respected either. Some don’t want to cause a fuss but Mahamadou was not happy with it so he left.”
