Former Aston Villa and Everton winger Anwar El Ghazi’s Mainz contract terminated

In a surprising turn of events, former Aston Villa and Everton winger, Anwar El Ghazi, has had his contract terminated by Bundesliga club Mainz. The decision comes after the player made a controversial social media post regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The now-deleted post was deemed “unacceptable” by the club, leading to El Ghazi’s suspension on 17 October. During a meeting held on Thursday, Mainz expected an apology from the 28-year-old for what they perceived as pro-Palestinian sentiments in his message.

To everyone’s surprise, however, El Ghazi stood firm in his belief that peace and humanity should be extended to all victims of war. He expressed this sentiment to senior executives at the club but was informed yesterday that his contract would be cancelled with immediate effect.

The Dutchman joined Mainz just last month on a free transfer after leaving PSV Eindhoven. This termination follows German labour law which allows employers up to 14 days from becoming aware of gross misconduct to cancel a contract without financial repercussions. Failure to act within this timeframe could result in full payment obligations towards the player.

Mainz declined to comment further when contacted today.

Nice defender Youcef Atal suspended for antisemitic video allegations

In another development related to sensitive matters surrounding conflicts in Israel and Gaza, Nice defender Youcef Atal has been suspended pending investigation by French prosecutors. Allegedly involved in sharing an antisemitic video, Atal will face legal scrutiny as the matter unfolds.

Mainz’s next fixture is set to be a challenging Bundesliga encounter against Bochum on Friday, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30 BST. It remains to be seen how these recent controversies will impact the team’s performance.