Heidel on El Ghazi: "Case that interests the world"
Sports director Christian Heidel has delivered an emotional monologue in the debate about pro-Palestinian statements made by his professional Anwar El Ghazi, but does not want to comment on the content for the time being. "I'm not going to explain anything anymore. I'm not going to make any more statements. I think all of you have realized by now that this has nothing to do with soccer or sport. This is a highly political issue. It's a legal and labor law issue. Everyone knows that this topic is simply not something I discuss with a journalist in a courtyard somewhere," Heidel said in Mainz on Friday, visibly touched.
Just two days after El Ghazi's reprieve, there had been further problems in the hours before Wednesday's cup match at Hertha BSC (0:3). The starting point was an Instagram post in which El Ghazi made it clear that the club statement published on Monday was not authorized by him. He does not regret his position at all. "I am not distancing myself from what I said and will stand for humanity and on the side of the oppressed until the last day I breathe," El Ghazi wrote. Sporting director Martin Schmidt then announced another club statement.
But it's not that simple, as Heidel explained on Friday. "This is a case that has never happened before at Mainz 05. I deeply regret it. But it's nobody's fault at Mainz 05," said the 60-year-old.
On Monday, the 05ers had said that El Ghazi had backed away from his controversial pro-Palestinian post from October 15 in several talks. "In this context, El Ghazi also clearly distanced himself from terrorist acts such as those of Hamas (...)", the Mainz club wrote. Then came the denial via Instagram.
"We are talking about a case that interests the whole world. This is a special case and we will make a statement about it when something has been decided," Heidel said. The 28-year-old will not be in the squad against RB Leipzig on Saturday (3.30pm/Sky). El Ghazi went on sick leave at the beginning of the week.
Despite the ongoing conflicts over Anwar El Ghazi's pro-Palestinian statements, the Bundesliga team FSV Mainz 05 is facing a unique situation. The soccer star expressed his disapproval of the club's Monday statement, stating he did not authorize it, and reaffirmed his stance on human rights issues.
Source: www.dpa.com
