The German Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and Mainz 05 witnessed an amazing moment as the referee, Matthias Jöllenbeck, halted play midway through the match to allow Mainz’s Muslim center-back, Moussa Niakhaté, to break his fast.
The moment took place around the 64th minute of the match. The referee’s kind gesture was appreciated by the fans. Moussa Niakhaté too thanked the referee for allowing him to break his fast by giving him a high-five.
Watch the video of the incredible moment here:
Play was stopped during Augsburg vs. Mainz 05 so Moussa Niakhaté could have a moment to break his Ramadan fast just after sunset 👏 pic.twitter.com/TwfbcpBfn7
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 11, 2022
The heart-warming gesture of the referee garnered over 81,200 likes and 13,000 retweets as fans from all over the world appreciated him.
The director-general of communications for the German Referee Committee, Lutz Michael Fröhlich, remarked that there are no general instructions given to the referees regarding halting play midway through the game. It is the onus of the individual referee if they would like to take a mini-break to allow the players to break their fast.
