Pep Guardiola has called on football supporters to “respect religion and diversity” after fans booed a brief stoppage in play at Elland Road to allow Muslim players to break their Ramadan fast.
Play was halted in the 13th minute of Manchester City’s 1-0 win against Leeds after sunset to allow Muslim players to eat. Despite a clear message on the big screen, fans audibly jeered the situation.
“It is a modern world, right?” Guardiola said. “Respect religion, diversity, that is the point. The Premier League says you can have one or two minutes for the players to do it. It is what it is, unfortunately.”
Leeds assistant head coach Edmund Riemer added: “I’ve heard about it. Obviously some of the supporters did it, so we try to learn from it. It’s disappointing, we need to do better next time.”
Kick it Out, the anti-discrimination charity, said in a statement: “It is massively disappointing that some Leeds United fans jeered when Manchester City’s players broke their fast. This was compounded by the fact that an explanation was displayed on a big screen. Pausing the game to allow Muslim players to break their fast during Ramadan has been an agreed protocol for several years now.”
