Bundesliga club Mainz fired footballer Anwar El Ghazi on Friday.
This decision came shortly after German prosecutors initiated an investigation into his social media posts regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Mainz tweeted they were “ending the contractual relationship with Anwar El Ghazi and terminated the player with immediate effect.”
Mainz also clarified in a statement that they were “taking this action in response to the player’s statements and posts on social media.”
The prosecutors suspect that the Dutch footballer’s message on Instagram disturbed public peace by endorsing criminal acts and inciting hatred.
El Ghazi had posted multiple messages on social media at the beginning of the conflict. One of these posts contained the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Some people interpreted this slogan as a call for the destruction of Israel, while others believed it advocated for equality between Israelis and Palestinians.
As a result of this post, El Ghazi was suspended by Mainz on October 17. However, the club later stated that the player could return after he explicitly distanced himself from the controversial statements.
Nevertheless, on Wednesday, El Ghazi once again took to social media to express that he does not regret or feel any remorse for his position.
He said: “I do not regret or have any remorse for my position.
“Any other statements, comments or apologies to the contrary attributed to me are not factually correct and have not been made or authorised by me.”
Mainz expressed their surprise and confusion in response to the recent statement and stated that they will review the situation legally and then make an evaluation.
El Ghazi, who was signed by Mainz on September 22, only played a total of 51 minutes in three matches for the club. Following an attack by Hamas fighters on October 7, Israel launched a large-scale retaliatory assault against Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
Israeli officials claim that this attack resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people, mostly civilians. According to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, over 9,200 people have been killed in Gaza.
