Leeds fans react negatively as referee makes special decision regarding three Man City players

Leeds United fans jeered in unison as three Manchester City players adhered to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan's customs during the clash.

Referee Peter Bankes paused the match in the 12th minute, allowing Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush to break their fast at sunset. The trio were permitted to consume food and drink near the touchline, while players from both teams also moved toward their technical areas for approximately one minute.

However, this decision drew negative reactions from the stands at Elland Road. Many home fans continuously booed and shouted offensive remarks until play resumed.

Simultaneously, the big screen at Elland Road displayed a message explaining the players were breaking their fast, but this did not lessen the protests from a section of the crowd.

Leeds assistant coach Eddie Riemer – who handled media duties in place of Daniel Farke after the match – stated he would be "disappointed if that indeed happened" when asked about the crowd's reaction. Previously, Man City had requested a match break from Friday, which Leeds agreed to, confirming the arrangement 24 hours before kickoff. Notably, Leeds' starting lineup for this match did not include any Muslim players.

Ramadan will conclude next month. A similar break is expected during the FA Cup match between Wrexham and Chelsea, scheduled for 5:45 PM next week. On the same day, Man City will visit Newcastle United at 8 PM, and their Muslim players, including Abdukodir Khusanov, will then be able to replenish energy before the game.

Manager Pep Guardiola commented ahead of the trip to Leeds: "They follow this religious tradition. We have an excellent nutrition team who adjust plans according to the squad's needs. We cannot change the Premier League schedule, and I believe the players are accustomed to it – they are not young and have played many years during this period. For them, it's nothing new. Both Rayans, Omar, and Khusa have experienced Ramadan before and know how to manage everything."

The Premier League organizers confirmed earlier this month that Ramadan breaks will continue this season, allowing players to break their fast between February 17 and March 19.

Since sunset in the UK varies between about 5 PM and 6:30 PM during this period, only matches kicking off at 5:30 PM on Saturdays and 4:30 PM on Sundays are affected.

According to the procedure, before each match, both teams and the referee team discuss whether a pause is needed, then agree on an approximate time for the break. These "Ramadan breaks" were first introduced in 2021 during the Leicester City vs. Crystal Palace match in April that year. At that time, play was stopped around the 30th minute during a goal kick to allow Leicester's Wesley Fofana and Palace's Cheikhou Kouyate to take on water and energy gels.

Since then, pausing matches during Ramadan has become more common. The Manchester United vs. Fulham FA Cup match last March was one example, where play was halted for Noussair Mazraoui to break his fast.

Besides the Man City group, other Muslim stars playing in the Premier League include Mohamed Salah, William Saliba, Wesley Fofana, and Amad Diallo. Former Man City greats like Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, and Yaya Toure are also Muslim.

In 2022, former Liverpool player Sadio Mane revealed the club adjusted training schedules to support Muslim players during Ramadan, demonstrating English football's increasing flexibility in respecting cultural and religious diversity.