Angers vs. Monaco Match Sparks controversy over Ramadan break

On March 15, 2025, during the Ligue 1 game between Angers and Monaco, which ended with the 2-0 win of Monaco, the game was interrupted for medical reasons in the 13th minute. This interruption made it possible for several Muslim players to quickly break their Ramadan, which led to significant critics of politicians and a debate about religious neutrality in sport.

The incident attracted the anger right figures, in particular the deputy Laurent Wauquiez, who described the situation as “unacceptable”. He expressed his concerns on March 17 and explained that the interruption, especially on the order of players who fast for Ramadan, violates the principles of secularism and neutrality in French football.

During the game, Anger player Himad Abdelli was injured in the field, which caused referees Willy Delajod to stop the game. This break made it possible for teammates Zinedine Ferhat, Yassin Belkhdim and Carlens Arcus together with Monacos al-Musrati, water and food. They used this break to fill up their energy that King Abdelaciz may have taken care of.

The French Football Veration (FFF) later clarified the media, including AFP, and stated that the interpretations of the break were wrong as religious compliance. According to FFF, the interruption due to the injury was a standard protocol and not on the basis of Ramadan practices. One spokesman confirmed: “The players used the break because they took a player's food for themselves.”

The political reactions to the event were quickly with several right-wing representatives, including François-Xavier Bellamy and Matthias Renault, who condemned the details of the match. Renault publicly rejected social media and combined the interruption with the perceived violations of the French Laïcité and explained: “This decision violates the principle of neutrality and secularism on the soccer field.”

Critics argue that such cases have significant problems with the increasing visibility of religious practices in public sectors, especially sports that are regarded as secular institutions. This match was the first time that such religious recognition was considered disturbed to disturb the flow of the professional game and to ignite debates about maintaining the national principles of secularism.

The FFF constantly affirms its attitude towards secularism and emphasizes every year in the league season, as the interruptions are only forbidden on religious reasons, in contrast to what could be observed in leagues such as UEFA or the English Premier League, in which such accommodations may be more common.

Despite the turmoil, the feeling remains indifferent to many spectators or supports the actions of the players, which emphasizes the humanity of sport and the need for inclusivity. “The only thing is that everyone feels comfortable and accepted in these times,” remarked a fan who preferred to stay anonymous and simply summarized the matter.

Overall, the incidents of Angers against Monaco symbolize the modern tensions between sporting behavior, cultural practices and political discourse and raise questions about how the areas of religion and sport will interact in the future. Such discussions are expected to shape future guidelines within French football, since society continues to deal with these diverse identities.

The match itself served not only as a battlefield for sport, but also as an epicenter for political comments and as a discourse on religious expression in French public life.

Angers vs. Monaco Match Sparks controversy over Ramadan break

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