Mahamadou Diawara Leaves French U-19 Squad After Fasting Ban

Author: Hayyitita Nastatih
March 27, 2024

Source: instagram shopen_online

SEAToday.com, France - French U-19 national team player Mahamadou Diawara decided to leave the squad after a ban on fasting during the training camp on Thursday (3/21).

As a Muslim, he claimed to object and felt uncomfortable with the rules set by the French Football Federation (FFF) and chose to return to his club, Olympique Lyon. After Diawara's return to the club, the FFF has now called FC Nantes player Dehmaine Tabibou Assoumani as his replacement. Bernard Diomede's squad will undergo the 2024 Euro U-19 Elite Tour.

Previously, FFF President Philippe Diallo banned players at both junior and senior levels from fasting citing the "principle of neutrality", so that no athlete is bound by religious rules.

"I reiterate that it is within this framework of neutrality that our selection operates concretely, which means that we do not change the conditions of our selection practices for religious reasons," said Philippe Diallo.