How Premier League footballers observe Ramadan: Fasting breaks, match prep & rules explained

The holy month of Ramadan has already begun and Muslims around the world are celebrating the festival by fasting during daylight hours.

Footballers who follow Islam are also known to fast, and leagues across the planet are growing sensitive to the needs of Muslim players so that they can have their iftar even during a match. The Premier League has also come up with a set of guidelines to show solidarity with the players.

From Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, several superstars observe Ramadan by fasting throughout the month. GOAL tells you everything about fasting breaks, match preparations and many more things that takes place during the month of Ramadan.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the Arabic name for the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is considered the holiest month for Muslims. The beginning and the end of the month are determined by moon sightings.

During this month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs. The fast is broken with a meal known as iftar, which is typically eaten after sunset.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a festival called Eid al-Fitr which is a month after its start.

When is Ramadan this year?

The holy month of Ramadan has already begun and the following are the start and end dates for the next five years.

_{*These are tentative dates and might vary depending on moon sighting}

How do Premier League players observe Ramadan?

It is always a challenge for Muslim players to cope with the rigours of professional football during the month of Ramadan as their set matchday preparations, which include adhering to a strict diet, fall by the wayside.

However, Abdoulaye Doucoure revealed to BBC Sport that he does not miss fasting during Ramadan and yet he hasn't had any problems.

"I fast every day. I don't miss any days. Sometimes playing football has been hard because Ramadan has been in the summer and during pre-season. But I have always been lucky to practise Ramadan and there have never been problems with my physical condition - I am grateful for that," he stated.

In the UK, Suhur (food consumed before daybreak) commences as early as 2:30am GMT while Iftar (the breaking of fast at dusk) is usually observed after 8:30 pm GMT.

According to The Athletic, Wesley Fofana gets up before 2:30 in the morning to have his food during Ramadan.

This means a player has to go without food and drink for more than 12 hours which can be extremely difficult, especially on a matchday when you are expected to be at your optimum fitness.

“This poses certain challenges for footballers and professional athletes. You’ve got to be training to a high level and the main things you’re concerned about are optimising your performance, hydration, nutrition, sleep, training and recovery," told Crystal Palace’s head of sports medicine Dr Zafar Iqbal to Mirror.

In fact, he revealed that some players start fasting a few days before Ramadan as well so that their bodies can adapt quickly.

Iqbal prepares a tailor-made diet chart for each player along with the club nutritionist, and remains extremely careful to not give them carbohydrate-laden foods while they are breaking their fast.

“When their fast opens we’ve got to be careful not to give them foods which are energy-rich such as fried or high sugar foods. Because the body has not had food for a long period of time during the day, as soon as you put excess food into the body and it doesn’t get used up, it’s going to get stored [as fat]," he explained.

"We have to be careful, especially during Ramadan, that the players don’t gain excess fat. The only way to do that is to make sure they are eating the right kind of foods as well."

However, there have been instances where players have decided to skip fasting before a crucial match or a title decider.

It was reported that Salah refrained from fasting before the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 25 to keep himself in optimum condition for the game. 

"Religion is private, how I understand it," Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference. "Nothing to say about that but all fine you will see him out there. In training he is full of power - you need to be the day before a final."

Mid-game fasting breaks explained

Premier League matches will see a brief halt in proceedings to provide a window for Muslim players to eat and drink pitchside during Ramadan.

Everton's recent encounter was stopped in the 26th minute to allow the Toffees trio of Doucoure, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye to consume fluids and supplements.

Play will not be stopped while the ball is rolling but at the earliest convenient pause, during a goal-kick, free-kick or throw-in.

Teams and match officials will discuss pre-match if a break is required. If so, then an approximate time for the stoppage will also be agreed upon.

List of Premier League games to pause for Ramadan break