Augsburg (Germany): In a first, a Bundesliga match between Mainz and Augsburg came to a halt last week, a move by referee Matthias Jollenbeck in the 65th minute, to allow Mainz defender Moussa Niakhate to break his fast during Ramzan. 26-year-old Niakhate has been observing fast, the nine month of Islamic calender, where individuals don't eat/drink during daylight. This was the first time that a German match came to a stop for a player to break his/her fast.
Niakhate was seen drinking, presumptively water or a sports drink, from two bottles while having a conversation with Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner. He then thanked the referee for allowing him to break his fast and refresh himself during the match. Niakhate was seen running to the referee, Jollenbeck, for a handshake.
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Meanwhile, others who are observing fast include Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema, who observed fast for the entire day even as he scored a hat-trick against Chelsea during the Champions League match. The director of communications for the German Referee Committee, Lutz Michael Frohlich, has allowed the referees to pause the match so that the players are able to break their fast during Ramzaan. "There is no general instruction in this regard, but of course we support our referees allowing such drinking breaks during Ramadan at the request of the players," he was quoted by a media outlet as saying.