Anwar El Ghazi is reportedly suing his former club Mainz for wrongful dismissal.
His contract was terminated earlier this month following a social media post he made about the Israel-Gaza conflict. On October 17, the club suspended him for his “unacceptable” post.
Later that month, the club lifted El Ghazi’s suspension but then reversed their decision. “FSV Mainz 05 is terminating the contractual relationship with Anwar el Ghazi and terminated the player [contract] with immediate effect on Friday,” the club said in a statement. The club is taking this action in response to the player’s statements and social media posts.”
El Ghazi responded on social media, writing, “Stand for what is right, even if it means standing alone.” The loss of my livelihood is insignificant in comparison to the hell being unleashed on Gaza’s innocent and vulnerable.”
According to BBC Sport, he will now take legal action against the club. “I don’t see any statement in the latest post that is not covered by freedom of expression,” his lawyer told Allgemeine Zeitung.
Meanwhile, Mainz told BBC Sport that the player’s legal team informed them about the case and that they will not comment further because “it is an ongoing legal proceeding.”
