LEEDS CRITICIZE ‘DISAPPOINTING’ BOOING DURING RAMADAN PAUSE

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By: Fasasi Hammad

Leeds United have criticized the loud boos from supporters during a brief pause in Saturday’s match at Elland Road, which allowed players observing Ramadan to break their fast. The club described the reaction as “disappointing.”

In the 13th minute of the Premier League clash against Manchester City, a message was displayed on the big screen explaining the stoppage. Players from both teams were given time to hydrate and take energy supplements. However, the short break — lasting about a minute — was met with jeers and whistles from parts of the crowd.

Leeds’ Instagram posts over the weekend were flooded with comments about the incident, with some fans emailing the club to express their disappointment. One fan said they were “deeply disturbed” and “embarrassed” by the reaction.

In a response, Leeds’ supporter liaison officer stated: “The club is aware of the incident, and it was disappointing that some supporters chose to boo during the pause for players observing Ramadan. We are investigating why this happened and what can be done to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

Manager Daniel Farke called the act “really disrespectful” in his pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday’s game against Sunderland. “If it was disrespectful in these terms because of the break, then we all have to learn from this,” he said, adding that the pause came as a surprise to many in the stadium.

Manchester City featured three Muslim players in their starting lineup — Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Omar Marmoush — with Abdukodir Khusanov on the bench. Manager Pep Guardiola also condemned the boos, emphasizing the importance of respecting religion and diversity.

Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out described the crowd’s reaction as “massively disappointing,” while Leeds assistant Eddie Riemer noted the club is “trying to learn from it” and acknowledged the need to “do better next time.”

Leeds eventually lost 1-0 to Manchester City, with Antoine Semenyo scoring the only goal of the match in the first half.