Barcelona players Yamal Fati's fasting during Ramadan raises controversy

Some Spanish press reports stated that Barcelona is interested in developing a specific plan for the duo Lamine Yamal and Ansu Fati, which is compatible with their fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, without affecting their level in the tournaments in which they participate with Barça for the current season 2024-2025.

The Spanish newspaper Sport reported: The beginning of the month of Ramadan, which extends to the end of March, is a special month for Muslims because of the obligation of fasting from dawn until sunset, in addition to performing the five daily prayers, along with other religious obligations.

The newspaper added that this religious commitment also includes Muslim athletes. In the Benfica and Barcelona match scheduled for next Wednesday in the Champions League, about 6 players will be affected by fasting, including 2 in Barcelona .

As for Barcelona, Ansu Fati and Lamine Yamal are observing fasting and therefore cannot eat or drink during daylight hours.

On the other hand, Spanish Sport continued: Lamine Yamal was seen in Barcelona's training before facing Real Sociedad in La Liga playing with the ball on the side of the field while his teammates were drinking water during the break. As for Ansu Fati, he missed training due to his fever.

The newspaper added that player Ansu Fati had previously visited Mecca during Barcelona's stay in Saudi Arabia to participate in the Spanish Super Cup, while Lamine Yamal was unable to go because he is a minor and was not accompanied by his parents.

On the other hand, Sport reported that Barcelona is used to dealing with these cases with different plans, as it previously faced similar situations with Ousmane Dembele and Franck Kessie, who committed to fasting during Ramadan.

She concluded her report by saying that in the Benfica match, there are about 4 players who are committed to fasting: Orkun Koksu, Kerem Akturkoglu, Zeki Amdouni, and Adrian Bayrami.

In a related context, coach Bruno Lage stressed the importance of paying special attention to them to ensure their readiness for the match against Barcelona, which is the same approach adopted by Barcelona’s management.