LEEDS, England (AP) – Premier League side Leeds said there were boos at Elland Road last weekend when their match against Manchester City was briefly suspended to prevent players from entering. During Ramadan Breaking their fast was “unfortunate and unexpected.”
In a message to fans on Friday, the club said they expected a better response in Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Norwich. It also offered some “mitigating circumstances” as to why it happened in the first place.
“To be clear, Leeds United Football Club unequivocally condemns any supporter, in either the home or away section, who actively boos players or takes advantage of breaking the fast regulations during Ramadan,” the club said. in a statement.
During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, people abstain from all food and drink from dawn to dusk and break their fast with a meal known as iftar in Arabic.
Last Saturday, boos echoed throughout the stadium. match against city It has been temporarily suspended to allow players observing Ramadan to stay hydrated and take energy supplements.
“After considering it over time, there were also some mitigating circumstances that led to this situation,” Leeds said.
The club said it was the first time such a break had been organized at Elland Road and “in hindsight we should have been more proactive in communicating”.
Second, the message on the large screen was not visible to 25% of the stadium. Leeds also said that last November’s match against City was controversially interrupted in the second half due to a ‘tactical time-out’ during the injury break, but with the team huddled on the touchline supporters may have thought it was happening again.
Finally, he added: “Many players were confused as to why the match was suspended, which was clearly visible in the broadcast footage, and may have contributed to confusion among supporters.”
A similar outage is scheduled for approximately 75 minutes after sunset on Sunday. Leeds pointed out that the players breaking the fast include the club’s striker Joel Pirouet.
“Sunday’s game against Norwich City is an opportunity for Leeds United to be at their best and everyone is welcome at Elland Road,” the club said.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
