Man City: How the club helps Muslim players during Ramadan

City has a memorable history with a number of Muslim players.

German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan led the team to win the treble in 2023, while Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez was also part of this team and won the Premier League Player of the Year award with Leicester City in 2016.

Ivorian Yaya Toure scored the winning goal in the 2011 FA Cup final against Stoke City, ending the club’s 35-year wait for a major trophy – and a year later, he refused a bottle of champagne as man of the match on live television, explaining his Islamic beliefs, with the Premier League later changing the award to a trophy.

Although City’s training kit is sponsored by Japanese beer company Asahi, its Super Dry 0.0% branding is printed on it, meaning the Muslim players are advertising a non-alcoholic product.

City’s players and staff are being educated on topics such as this by Muslim Chaplains in Sport (MCS), which has worked closely with the club since 2016-17 from the Under-8s through to the first team.

MCS founder, Imam Ismail Bamji, explains to BBC Sport: “We visit clubs and often lead prayers and sit and learn about a particular topic afterwards. I am then available to club staff and players.

“I walk around the club’s training facilities and buildings, meet people and help resolve any issues they may have and discuss them confidentially.”

This month, Guardiola spoke in a press conference about the “hurt” he feels towards the victims of the global conflict, including the thousands killed in Palestine.

Imam Ismail says the topic has struck a chord within some clubs, adding: “If there is a need for help, people reach out to me for guidance on family matters and personal issues.

“One example of this is asking how they cope with the war in Gaza – in controlling their emotions and not running the risk of losing their job by posting something on social media.”