Bayern Munich decides not to sanction Noussair Mazraoui for pro-Palestinian social media posts
FILE - Bayern Munich forward Noussair Mazraoui in action during the first half of a friendly soccer match against D.C. United, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Washington. Bayern Munich has decided not to sanction Noussair Mazraoui after the Morocco right back expressed support for Palestine on social media. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich has decided not to sanction Noussair Mazraoui after the Morocco right back expressed support for Palestinians on social media.
The German club said Friday that it had a “detailed and clarifying conversation with Noussair Mazraoui this week” after the 25-year-old player reportedly shared several posts on Instagram in support of Palestinians and against terrorism, hate and violence.
“Mazraoui has credibly assured us that as a peace-loving person he resolutely rejects terror and war and he never meant to cause any irritation with his posts,” Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen said. “FC Bayern condemns Hamas’ attack on Israel.”
Bayern quoted Mazraoui as saying, “I condemn all terrorism and terrorist organizations.”
The club said it “stands by Germany’s Jewish community and by Israel’s side; nothing justifies the murder of children and families.”
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel later said he stood “100%” behind the club’s statement. He said he spoke with both Mazraoui and Israeli reserve goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.
“It’s our duty of care to talk to him and find out how he is doing and whether soccer is possible for him,” Tuchel said of Peretz.
Bayern’s decision not to suspend Mazraoui stands in contrast to league rival Mainz, which suspended Dutch forward Anwar El Ghazi for what it said was an “unacceptable” social media post about the Israel-Hamas war.
French club Nice also suspended Algeria defender Youcef Atal on Wednesday after he reportedly reposted and then deleted a video in which a Palestinian preacher made an antisemitic statement.
Mazraoui, who joined Bayern in a free transfer from Ajax in 2022, has started in seven of the team’s 10 competitive games this season, going on as a substitute in another. Tuchel has a shortage of options at right back following Benjamin Pavard’s transfer to Inter Milan and Josip Stanišić’s departure on loan to Bayer Leverkusen.
Mazraoui will miss Bayern’s game against Mainz on Saturday, however, after the Bavarian club said he returned from international duty with an unspecified injury.
Also, Borussia Dortmund has taken no action against Algeria defender Ramy Bensebaini after he was pictured on Instagram with a scarf showing the Palestinian and Algerian flags.
“His homeland has close ties to the Palestinian territories. The national team used the scarves to express its sympathy for the victims among the civilian population in Gaza, many of whom are children,” Dortmund’s anti-discrimination officer Daniel Lörcher told the local Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper. “Ramy assured us in a personal conversation that he is only showing solidarity with the Palestinian civilian population.”
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