Paris Saint-Germain fans joined the controversy over players fasting during Ramadan in the French Football League after raising a banner during Sunday’s match against Olympique Lyonnais. An opportunity to break the fast.

During the 1-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes, fans of the Paris club held up a large banner reading “A date and a glass of water, a dream of the French federation”.

Local media published a leaked letter to the French confederation’s referees’ panel demanding that the game not be stopped to allow fasting players to eat or drink on the field, while the English confederation demanded that Muslim players be allowed to break. Fasting during competitions.

The French league, in its various titles, includes hundreds of Muslim players, especially Arabs and Africans, and many of them are keen to fast during Ramadan.

Controversy escalated after Nantes’ Algerian player Joan Hajjam insisted on a hunger strike after missing Sunday’s league match against Stade Reims.

His coach Antoine Komboure said he always allows the players to fast, except on match days.

After losing 3-0 at home he told reporters: Joanne? There is no dispute. I support those who are fasting. There is no problem with fasting on training days. Fasting is not required on match days, whoever does it will not join the team. It is not punishment. Set the rules. It’s his decision and I respect that.

When good coach Didier Descartes advised the French confederation to follow his Englishman’s example and be lenient on players’ religious rituals, he was quite obvious.

And he told a press conference: The British are more open than us in this matter, they always are, we support the players as much as we can, we monitor their diet, we don’t judge them, we judge them by performance. their fasting.