Anwar El Ghazi will return to training with Mainz after being “warned” over a social media post in relation to the Israel-Gaza war, the club has confirmed.
The 28-year-old Netherlands international had been suspended by the Bundesliga side after he shared a post on his Instagram story that expressed support for Palestinians.
El Ghazi later clarified his original post, which has since been deleted, writing on Twitter that he stood “for peace above everything” and calling for “more empathy” as “deepening our knowledge about the history of this conflict is vital”.
Mainz described his comments as “intolerable” for the club, but said that he had shown “remorse” and would be available for selection again “as soon as possible”.
A Mainz statement on Monday read: “Anwar El Ghazi is warned by 1. FSV Mainz 05 for publishing a post on social media two weeks ago. In this, the 28-year-old Dutchman commented on the conflict in the Middle East in a way that was intolerable for the club. After the publication, the club immediately released its player from training and games.
“Since then, in several conversations with the club’s board, El Ghazi has distanced himself from his post on his Instagram channel, which he himself deleted after just a few minutes. He regretted the publication of the article and its negative impact, especially for the entire club.
“In this context, El Ghazi also clearly distanced himself from terrorist acts such as those by Hamas, which led to a renewed escalation of violence in the Middle East two weeks ago, to the board. He emphasised his sympathy with the victims of this attack as well as with all victims of this conflict. He made it clear that he did not question Israel’s right to exist.
“The club’s board clearly emphasised to Anwar El Ghazi in the discussions that it requires its employees to commit to the club’s values. This implies a special responsibility towards the State of Israel and the Jewish people, which derives from German history, but also the history of the club with its Jewish club co-founder Eugen Salomon.
“Against the background of El Ghazi’s commitment and the remorse he has shown, the club’s culture of dealing with mistakes requires that the player be given a chance for rehabilitation. Anwar El Ghazi will therefore return to training and games at 1. FSV Mainz 05 as soon as possible.”
El Ghazi’s post contained the line “from the river to the sea”, which is defined by the American Jewish Committee as antisemitic.
El Ghazi joined Mainz from PSV Eindhoven in September 2023 and signed a two-year contract with the club. The former Aston Villa man has made three substitute appearances in the Bundesliga this season.
Nice defender Youcef Atal was earlier this month given a seven-match suspension by the French Football Association (LFP) over a social media post relating to the Israel-Gaza war.
Atal shared a video on Instagram in October which was widely condemned for being offensive towards Jewish people. The 27-year-old quickly deleted the video and apologised for the post, but was subsequently suspended by Nice.
Israel declared a state of war after Hamas launched an attack on the country on Saturday October 7.
(Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
