Muslim footballers seen praying beside pitches risk suspension and their clubs could lose state subsidies, the mayor of Nice has warned, reports The Telegraph.
Football authorities on the Riviera have introduced a “secularism charter” that bans clubs on the Côte d'Azur from bringing religion into the game.
The Right-wing mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, said the charter stemmed from strict French laws enforcing secularism in public institutions and banning the wearing of Muslim headscarves or other “ostentatious” religious symbols in state schools or government offices.
Ten breaches of the charter have been reported since October, BFM TV reported. Most of the incidents involved Muslim players praying on or near the pitch immediately before or after a match.
Several players were reportedly suspended for two matches. Local officials declined to name them or the clubs involved.
Eric Borghini, the head of the Riviera branch of the French Football Federation, said: “Footballers were praying in changing rooms or on football fields and we were forced to react because this is a breach of the French Republican spirit of secularism.