Anwar El Ghazi has had his contract terminated by German football club Mainz (Picture: Getty)
Former Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi has had his contract with German club Mainz terminated over a social media post about the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
El Ghazi was suspended on October 17 by the Bundesliga side, who called the now-deleted Instagram post “intolerable”.
It was widely reported that El Ghazi would have his contract terminated, but Mainz announced on Monday that the 28-year-old Dutchman’s suspension had been lifted.
However, in a statement on Friday, Mainz said: ‘FSV Mainz 05 terminated their contract with Anwar El Ghazi with immediate effect on Friday.
‘The club has taken this action in response to comments and posts from the player on social media.’
El Ghazi shared a post on Instagram following his release featuring a quote by poet Suzy Kassem, which read: ‘Stand for what is right, even if it means standing alone.’
Underneath the quote El Ghazi wrote: ‘The loss of my livelihood is nothing when compared to the hell being unleashed on the innocent and vulnerable in Gaza £stopthekilling.’
Anwar El Ghazi responded to his sacking by showing no regret over his support for Palestine (Picture: Instagram)
Earlier this week The Football Association confirmed it would ‘seek police guidance’ if players use the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ in relation to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
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The governing body’s statement comes following a now-deleted social media post on X, formally known as Twitter, from Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury.
The FA confirmed it will be writing to all clubs advising that the phrase is ‘considered offensive to many’ and added that ‘police guidance’ will be sought if used again.
Hamza Choudhury of Leicester City apologised for referencing ‘from the river to the sea’ in a social media post this week (Picture: Getty)
An FA spokesperson said: ‘After careful consideration, we will be writing to all clubs to make it clear that this phrase is considered offensive to many, and should not be used by players in social media posts.
‘The player has apologised and deleted the tweet. We are strongly encouraging clubs to ensure that players do not post content which may be offensive or inflammatory to any community.
‘If this phrase is used again by a football participant, we will seek police guidance on how we should treat it and respond.’
Choudhury posted an apology on X on Monday, adding that he did not intend to cause offence.
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He said: ‘I want to address my earlier post which has unfortunately been misinterpreted.
‘It was and is not my intention to cause offence to anyone but simply to show compassion for the innocent people that are suffering.
‘I’m sorry for any offence this has caused. I share the hope of people around the world that a peaceful resolution can bring an end to the ongoing suffering of innocent people in this conflict.’
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