El Ghazi initiates legal action following Mainz dismissal

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Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi is pursuing legal action against his former club, Mainz, claiming wrongful dismissal.

Mainz terminated El Ghazi’s contract on 2 November, citing a series of social media posts he made about the Israel-Gaza conflict.

“I don’t see any statement in the latest post that is not covered by freedom of expression,” the winger’s lawyer told Allgemeine Zeitung.

Mainz has been notified about the case by El Ghazi’s legal team, and in a statement to BBC Sport, they mentioned that they will refrain from making any additional comments “as it is an ongoing legal proceeding”.

Meanwhile, BBC Sport has observed a series of abusive messages directed at the 28-year-old on social media. These messages, some of which contain death threats against the player and his family, also label him as a “terrorist.”

Certain offensive messages seem to originate from accounts in the United Kingdom and have been forwarded to the UK Football Policing Unit for investigation.

El Ghazi was originally suspended by Mainz on 17 October, following a social media post that included the controversial phrase “from the river to the sea”, a pro-Palestinian message. Critics say the phrase implies the destruction of Israel, but some pro-Palestinian figures disagree.

Mainz said El Ghazi’s post “took a position on the conflict in the Middle East in a manner that wasn’t tolerable for the club”.

On October 27, Mainz had initially threatened to terminate the contract of the former Everton and Aston Villa player. However, he returned to the squad three days later, emphasizing his commitment to “peace above everything.”

“Given his commitment to upholding the club’s values and the remorse shown, and in keeping with the club’s culture of using mistakes as an opportunity to learn, El Ghazi will return to training and matchday-related activities,” said the Bundesliga club.

Following this, El Ghazi clarified that he did not authorize the club’s statement regarding his return, saying: “I do not distance myself from what I said and stand for humanity and on the side of the oppressed until the last day I breathe.”

In response to the player’s statements and posts on social media, the German club promptly terminated his contract.

After the termination of his contract, El Ghazi stated, “Stand for what is right, even if it means standing alone.

“The loss of my livelihood is nothing when compared to the hell being unleashed on the innocent and vulnerable in Gaza.”

One of the founding members of Mainz and its inaugural chairman was Eugen Salomon, a Jewish man who was removed from his club functions by the Nazis in 1933 and subsequently killed in the Holocaust in 1942.

The Holocaust, orchestrated by Nazi Germany during World War Two, resulted in the deaths of approximately six million Jews.

A road leading up to Mainz’s stadium is named Eugen Salomon Strasse.