Playing football without eating or drinking: "We talk to the referee and stop the game"

Barcelona"I've already told the physio to have some dates ready. If the game is stopped, I'll try to eat and drink something before halftime. If I can't, I'll do it in the locker room," explains Yaya Sidibe, a player for Badalonawho plays this Sunday at six in the afternoon. By the time the match begins, it will have been almost 12 hours since the defender of Malian origin last ate or drank water: Sidibe is Muslim and – like the vast majority of footballers in Catalonia who are followers of Islam, as in the case of Lamine YamalOmar el Hilali and Azzedine Ounahi are observing Ramadan, which began on Wednesday. This means that for a month, sacred to them, they will fast from sunrise to sunset, which on Sunday is scheduled for 6:34 p.m., and will rise in the early hours to eat and pray.

"Matches at noon are the worst, because you get dehydrated the most in the sun, especially in August and September, when it's very hot and the days are very long. Some people moisten their lips, but it only serves to trick the body," says Badre Dahbi, football commentator. Jupiter, from Elite League"Without food or drink, you have less energy, and you notice it from the 60th or 70th minute onwards. You also recover worse. Besides, outside of professional football, most of us work eight hours a day, and that makes it even harder. I know my body and I've learned to pace myself," adds his teammate Hicham Kar. He's a full-back, and when he plays afternoon matches, he leaves a handful of dates and a bottle of water by his side off the field to break his fast when the bench tells him it's time to eat.Iftar, the nighttime meal during Ramadan.

Doing Ramadan in Morocco

"I remember one day the coach told me to lie down on the ground pretending I was injured. When they came to treat me, they gave me an energy bar and some water," she says with a mischievous smile. Fatima GharbiA World Cup player with the Moroccan national team and former player for Europa and AEM Lleida, explains, "The main difference between men and women is that we can't fast during menstruation, pregnancy, and after giving birth." The footballer, raised in Sabadell and now playing in her native country for Renaissance de Berkane, adds, "Since it's a Muslim country, it's much easier to adapt football to religion. For example, after most matches, after most training sessions, we'll go out for dinner, and then all the players will go together to pray at the mosque." Ramadan, a time of family reflection and spiritual purification, is based on five daily prayers, which can coincide with matches or training sessions. "If I'm playing, I pray when I get home. And if I have a very important match, like one..." play-off"That day I don't fast and I pay for it later. If you're sick, traveling, or have a work emergency, you can make an exception," explains Sidibe, who switched from Olot to Badalona this summer.

The risks of fasting

"Of course we take Ramadan into account when making signings, especially if it falls at the end of the season. With the heat, it can be a problem for teams with four or five Muslim players in their starting eleven. One bad month can be disastrous," says the sporting director of one of Catalonia's leading semi-professional clubs. "Fasting carries a risk of dehydration, which directly affects a player's performance and decision-making on the pitch. It also increases the risk of injury due to disrupted sleep," confirms Pol Talent, a sports nutritionist specializing in football. Talent adds that it's very important "to drink and eat properly during the first meal of the day and to have a structured sleep routine"; that is, to get some sleep if you have to get up early.

"In times like these, the role of the physical trainer is crucial," he asserts. In Badalona, ​​Alex Pey is responsible for "monitoring workloads in detail, using GPS and metrics analysis, and adjusting and individualizing the volume of training" so that Sidibe, a tireless presence on the right flank and the team's only Muslim player, can continue playing as he has been. "Ramadan isn't a problem, nor does it limit performance," he says; it simply forces him to "plan more precisely" based on the premise that "daily communication with the player is key." And so far, the full-back has fared well: "I've never had to ask to be substituted, nor have I suffered physically during Ramadan," says Sidibe.

The team that suffers most during Ramadan

"We have 25 registered players and more than 20 of them are Muslim lads. Now we usually go to play with 13 or 14 players, and they all observe Ramadan," says Sergi Llamas, coach of FC DarnaA very special team born in the heart of Raval and made up of young migrants. They currently play in Quarta Catalana, the lowest tier of Catalan football. "We never use it as an excuse if we lose, but not eating or drinking affects us mentally and physically. For example, if it's very hot, we might not press as high up the pitch so we don't tire quickly," says the coach of a team that goes to great lengths to break their fast, even if it's on the field.

"In afternoon matches, we stop the game to drink and eat a little. Before it starts, we talk to the referee and the other team to explain that we're observing Ramadan and ask them to stop the game for two or three minutes. They understand perfectly, and when the time comes..."Iftar "We kick the ball out of bounds and go to the bench to drink water and eat dates or some bananas," explains the coach of Darna, a Catalan team that combines the practice of football with faith during the holy month of Islam.