Mohamed Elneny embraces Ramadan as Arsenal eye Premier League title glory
The Egyptian international spoke to Arab News about his faith, the support of Mikel Arteta
Mohamed Elneny is the living, breathing, smiling proof that observing Ramadan can be compatible with the life of a Premier League footballer.
Despite operating in the most physically demanding league in the world, Arsenal’s longestserving player is fasting through the holy month as he always does. On one level the two are incompatible — you would not run a Formula One car on an empty fuel tank — but Elneny would have it no other way.
Balancing faith with football works for him, even if it leaves his teammates perplexed at times. “They ask me so many questions. ‘Mo, when can you drink? When can you eat food?’ For them it doesn’t make any sense to train without drink or food. But it’s something in my head that I want to do,” he told Arab News.
“If you want to do something you are going to find a way to do it. You just train your mind.
“Actually I feel more strong in Ramadan because we do Ramadan for God and when you do something for God the reward will be big. He will not make you feel tired. He gives you power. “Today, for example, in training the players were asking: ‘Are you fasting?’ I was running around like normal. The way I train and the power God gives me, you would think I’m not fasting.
“You don’t think about the food or the drink. You focus on the Qur’an and praying, how life is happening, how the sky is beautiful and you think about the poor people. Those who don’t have food or money,” Elneny said.
“If a poor person comes to you now of course you give to them because you know how starving and thirsty they are. You need to feel this. That is why it is great to have Ramadan. You learn how to look after people.”
The Egyptian paid tribute to the understanding he receives from the Arsenal staff, including manager Mikel Arteta.
“I used to do Ramadan in Switzerland when I played there and some coaches would ask if I can maybe do half of Ramadan or some days on and some not. Mikel completely supports me and so do all the nutritionists and doctors at Arsenal. They are happy for me to do it,” he said.
“The nutritionist, for example, gives me supplements and protein drinks to have during the night so I will not dehydrate because my body needs water. The doctors support me too. I have to say thank you for this.”
The Premier League are supportive, too, having introduced a Ramadan pause that can be activated by officials in games where the sun sets during the match.
The precedent was set three years ago when Leicester’s game against Crystal Palace was briefly halted to allow Wesley Fofana and Cheik Kouyate to break their fast with energy gels.
The clocks go forward by an hour in the UK this weekend for British Summer Time, so on Wednesday the sun will set eight minutes into Arsenal’s game against Luton.
It is a game in which Elneny could feature, with Arteta having to balance twin Premier League and Champions League pursuits. It would be a rare outing for him in a season in which he has been restricted to just six appearances. He is disappointed not to have featured more in what has been an exceptional campaign for Arsenal so far, but he is about as far removed from a dressing-room disrupter as it is possible to imagine.
“I want to play all the time. I don’t want to miss one game. But the way I am, in my mind and my heart, I don’t think about myself, I only think about how I am going to support my teammates and my coach and how I am going to give everything I have to the team,” he said.
“I love to give. I have been the same since the first day I played football.”
“I know that to have people like this in the squad helps the team. It gives energy and makes the team strong. I always believe that it is much better to have a good team than to have good individual players. That comes from the players who don’t play and who still give energy to the players who do play. I’m happy to play this role. “Whether I play or I don’t play, I leave it to Mikel. When I am at the training ground I don’t want to give Mikel a headache, I want him to focus on the team. We are here to support each other, not to think about ourselves. I’m a team player.”
There was talk of a move to Turkiye in the January transfer window but the 31-year-old remains an Arsenal loyalist, the last player on the books signed by Arsene Wenger.
The great French manager was in charge when Arsenal last won the Premier League title — unbeaten — in 2003-2004.
Actually I feel more strong in Ramadan because we do Ramadan for God and when you do something for God the reward will be big. He will not make you feel tired. He gives you power.