Mainz have confirmed Anwar El Ghazi’s contract has been terminated over the Dutch winger’s social media posts on the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The former Aston Villa and PSV star was recently suspended from training and match days at the German club after he made a pro-Palestine post on social media – which he swiftly deleted.
Mainz announced earlier this week that it had lifted El Ghazi’s suspension after holding an ‘in-depth conversation’ with the player.
‘Given his commitment to upholding the club’s values and the remorse shown, and in keeping with the club’s culture of using mistakes as an opportunity to learn, Anwar el Ghazi will return to training and matchday-related activities with FSV Mainz 05 soon,’ a club statement read.
El Ghazi took to social media again on Wednesday to clarify his position, insisting he had ‘no regret or remorse’ over his original post and that he was ‘against the killing of all civilians’.
Mainz have announced Anwar El Ghazi’s contract as been terminated with immediate effect
The Bundesliga side confirmed the move after Al Ghazi’s reiterated his position on Instagram
Al Ghazi had insisted he had ‘no regret or remorse’ over his original post on social media
Mainz responded to the statement by vowing to ‘examine the facts from a legal standpoint and then evaluate the situation’.
The Bundesliga side have now agreed to terminate El Ghazi’s contract.
‘FSV Mainz 05 is ending the contractual relationship with Anwar el Ghazi and terminated the player with immediate effect on Friday,’ a club statement read.
‘The club is taking this measure in response to the player’s statements and posts on social media.’
El Ghazi had posted on Instagram to reaffirm his position and claim the original statement on October 27 was his ‘only and final’ statement to both his club and the public.
He added that any other statements or comments issued in his name or attributed to him ‘are not factually correct,’ before outlining his position.
‘I condemn the killing of all innocent civilians in Palestine and Israel,’ Al Ghazi wrote.
‘My sympathies are with the innocent victims of this conflict irrespective of their nationality. I am committed to a peaceful and integrated Middle East region.
‘To the extent my previous statements on social media have been misunderstood, I would like to make clear that I stand for peace and humanity for all.’
El Ghazi played three matches for Mainz after joining the Bundesliga club in the summer
El Ghazi quickly deleted his original post following a discussion with the Bundesliga club
He claimed the conflict has resulted in 3,500 child deaths in Gaza over the last three weeks
Mainz’s response to El Ghazi’s original statement detailed how the club believes it has a ‘special responsibility to the state of Israel and the Jewish people’, in part in a nod to their club’s heritage.
One of Mainz’s founding members Eugen Salomon was Jewish, and stripped of his role in the club in 1933 as the Nazi government began the Aryanisation of the sporting industry.
Salomon was later murdered in the Holocaust, and the club’s stadium is named in his memory.
‘The club’s board made it clear to Anwar El Ghazi that employees of the club are bound to a code of values,’ a section of the club’s statement read.
‘Implicit in this code of values is a special responsibility to the state of Israel and the Jewish people, not only due to past events in German history, but also stemming from the shared history with one of FSV’s founding members and member of the Jewish community, Eugen Salomon.’
Breaking his silence last week, El Ghazi apologised for his earlier statements being ‘misunderstood’ as he sought to share a message condemning the killing of civilians
El Ghazi wrote: ‘I condemn the killing of all innocent civilians in Palestine and Israel.
‘My sympathies are with the innocent victims of this conflict irrespective of their nationality. I am committed to a peaceful and integrated Middle East region.
‘To the extent my previous statements on social media have been misunderstood, I would like to make clear that I stand for peace and humanity for all.’
The player previously featured for PSV Eindhoven, joining Mainz as a free agent this summer
In the wake of El Ghazi’s suspension, club representatives met with General Consul of Israel for South Germany Talya Lador-Fresher.
El Ghazi is one of only a handful of football players to have commented on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the region.
In Germany, Bayern Munich opted not to sanction Noussair Mazraoui after the right-back shared pro-Palestine posts on social media.
The Football Association has ordered clubs to advise their players and staff to exercise ‘extreme caution’ when publicly commenting on the Middle East conflict.
It followed Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury facing an FA charge after using the ‘from the river to sea’ on his social media channels.
Choudhury, who has since apologised and deleted the post, escaped FA action.
