El Ghazi's lawsuit: court to hear case in December
The Mainz Labor Court will hear professional soccer player Anwar El Ghazi's dismissal protection claim against FSV Mainz 05 at a conciliation hearing on 6 December. This was announced by the court on Wednesday in response to a dpa inquiry. The 28-year-old striker is taking legal action against the Bundesliga club's termination without notice of his contract, which runs until the summer of 2025. Mainz 05 had responded to repeated pro-Palestinian Instagram posts by El Ghazi.
The Dutch-born Moroccan is being represented by employment and sports lawyer Alexander Bergweiler, who had already publicly expressed doubts that the termination without notice was lawful. The professional had initially been warned by the club for a pro-Palestinian post. In another post, El Ghazi indirectly contradicted a statement by Mainz 05 that he had shown remorse.
The starting point of the case was an initial post by the player in mid-October. Following the attack on Israel by terrorists on behalf of Hamas on October 7, he had written in an Instagram post that was subsequently deleted: "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." What is meant is that Palestine should expand from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. In a way, this denies Israel's right to exist.
Despite the ongoing legal dispute, Anwar El Ghazi continues to show his passion for soccer, regularly training with FSV Mainz 05's first team, despite being dismissed without notice. Regardless of the court's decision in the Bundesliga club's case against El Ghazi, his strong performances in previous seasons as a striker for FSV Mainz 05 have not gone unnoticed.
Source: www.dpa.com
