Ex-Prem star's contract 'to be terminated' over post on Israel-Hamas conflict
Former Aston Villa and Ajax star Anwar El Ghazi is reportedly due to see his contract with Mainz terminated after comments he posted regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
El Ghazi, who was linked with Manchester United in September, joined Bundesliga side Mainz later that month. He had been a free agent after leaving PSV Eindhoven over the summer, but appears to be on the lookout for a new club after just a few weeks in Germany.
The Dutch international was suspended by Mainz on October 17 after a post considered to be pro-Palestine. The post was since deleted, but the contract termination comes amid reports he refused to apologise for his actions.
El Ghazi's situation comes against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, with Israel launching attacks on Gaza after a Hamas attack killed more than 1,300 people including significant numbers of Israeli civilians. Thousands of Palestinian civilians have also been killed in Israeli attacks, with thousands more trapped, as calls for a ceasefire mount.
According to BBC Sport, El Ghazi met with club officials on Thursday but told senior executives he stands for "peace and humanity for all". The 28-year-old echoed this in a social media comment, reportedly made after being informed of the club's decision.
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"I condemn the killing of all innocent civilians in Palestine and Israel," El Ghazi wrote in an Instagram story published on Friday. "My sympathies are with the innocent victims of this conflict irrespective of their nationality.
"I am committed to a peaceful and integrated Middle East region. To the extent my previous statements on social media have been misunderstood, I would like to make clear that I stand for peace and humanity for all."
El Ghazi posted his thoughts on Instagram on Friday (@elghazi21/Instagram)
The Dutch international played Premier League football for Aston Villa and Everton (Getty Images)El Ghazi made his Mainz debut in late September and made three substitute appearances for the club before his suspension. Mainz sit bottom of the Bundesliga after picking up just three points from nine matches, but one of those came via a stoppage-time equaliser away to Bochum on Friday night.
"Mainz 05 releases Anwar El Ghazi from training and games," Mainz said in their initial statement regarding the player. "The exemption is a response to a now-deleted social media post by the 28-year-old on Sunday evening.
"In this, El Ghazi had taken a position on the conflict in the Middle East that was intolerable for the club. The release was preceded by a detailed discussion between the board and the player.
"Mainz 05 respects that there are different perspectives on the complex Middle East conflict that has been going on for decades. However, the club clearly distances itself from the content of the post as it does not reflect the values of our club."
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