A match between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace was halted during the 31st round of the English Premier League yesterday, Tuesday, at the third minute to allow Bournemouth player Dango to break his fast quickly. The Burkinabé player took advantage of sunset to regain his strength after Ramadan fasting, and he was seen consuming some juices on the sidelines of the field. Both teams respected the decision, and the match was stopped to wait for Dango to finish eating and drinking at the sideline before returning to the game.
A similar situation occurred in the Newcastle United match against Everton on the same day at St. James' Park. The referee paused the match during the first half as the Maghrib prayer time approached to allow the Muslim players to break their fast. The Muslim players gathered at the sideline to drink water and juices to break their fast.
In the match, there were three Muslim players from Everton: Idrissa Gueye, Onana, and Abdoulaye Doucouré. English media highlighted this moment, especially with a large number of Muslim players gathering together for a collective iftar.
The Premier League had decided to grant referees the authority to temporarily halt matches to allow Muslim players to break their fast, in agreement with both teams in administrative meetings before the beginning of the matches. Last Ramadan, referees were requested to facilitate the iftar process for fasting Muslim players during matches coinciding with the Maghrib prayer by pausing the game for a while to allow fasting players to break their fast.
