Ni injured, neither sick, nor suspended, Jaouen Hadjam was however absent during the semi-final of the Coupe de France won by his team, FC Nantes, once morest Olympique Lyonnais, Wednesday, April 6. This was already the case during the reception of the Stade de Reims the previous weekend and it will be the case once more, Sunday April 9, once morest AS Monaco. Since his arrival on the banks of the Loire this winter, the young Algerian international had made a name for himself as a starter in the left-back position. The reason for his sidelining is not to be found on the sporting side. It is due to the fact that the person concerned does not enter the « cadre » fixed by his trainer, Antoine Kombouaré, during the month of Ramadan, this year from March 22 to April 21.
Within the Nantes workforce, five Muslim players are fasting during this period. On match days, the coach has set a condition to eat and drink in order to be retained in the group. Jaouen Hadjam has decided to fast including match days, unlike his four teammates. “During the week, there are no worries for those who fast, I am ready to support them. But on the day of the match, you should not fast. There is a lot of intensity, you have to be ready. And those who fast are not in the group. I don’t want them getting hurt.”justified Antoine Kombouaré.
If the FC Nantes coach repeats “That’s not a punishment”, the situation nevertheless penalizes the club and its employee. Is it the coach who has to deal with the religious beliefs of the player? Or the player to adapt to the framework set by the coach, putting his fast on hold, a fortiori on match days? Each season, the debate arises in the world of football, in club or national team, depending on a multitude of parameters: the concessions of some, the openness of others, the number of players concerned, the sporting deadlines, match schedules, weather conditions, etc.
Dehydration and risk of injury
Since the period of Ramadan changes every year according to the lunar calendar, what can be easily managed in winter can become a delicate problem in summer, when the days get longer and the temperatures become stifling.
At AS Monaco, where Doctor Philippe Kuentz worked between 2005 and 2019, ” fasting was the subject of a global reflection each year with the staff”. “What worries us the most is dehydration”he underlines, also quoting “increased risk of muscle injury” et “impaired performance”, which are documented in the scientific literature. “It depends on a lot of conditions and it’s on a case-by-case basis. »
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