Dutch star Anwar El Ghazi has won his legal battle against his former club, German side Mainz 05, after the court ruled in his favour, declaring the termination of his contract in 2023—which was carried out due to his pro-Palestinian posts—null and void.
The German club had terminated Al-Ghazi’s contract after he posted messages on his Instagram account expressing his support for the Palestinian people following the events of 7 October 2023, which Mainz’s management at the time deemed an “unacceptable political stance”.
However, according to Al Jazeera Net, the German courts ruled that the club’s decision violated the player’s right to freedom of expression and ordered Mainz to pay €1.7 million in compensation for unpaid wages, after the club lost its latest appeal in court.
Following the ruling, El Ghazi expressed his delight at the victory via the ‘X’ platform, directing a sharp message to Mainz’s management in which he said: “They tried again and failed again,” referring to the club’s repeated attempts to overturn the ruling. He added: “Their latest statement is full of delusions… I will never accept that voices defending justice and humanity are silenced.”
The Dutch player of Moroccan descent reaffirmed his stance in support of Palestine, noting that the money he will receive from the case will be allocated to supporting children in Gaza.
For its part, Mainz issued a brief statement confirming its respect for the court’s decision, noting that El Ghazi’s actions “were not sufficient to justify immediate termination of the contract”, in a clear retreat from its previous stance.