In the CL round of 16

Powerless because of Ramadan! BVB ace not in the starting eleven

Ramy Bensebaini(Bild: AFP/AFP or licensors)

A little surprise even before kick-off of the Champions League clash between OSC Lille and Borussia Dortmund: BVB coach Niko Kovac has decided not to include left-back Ramy Bensebaini in the starting eleven - because he lacks the strength to play for 90 minutes less than two weeks after the start of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan!

As Kovac explained in the DAZN interview, "you have to imagine what that takes in terms of strength" and you can already tell that fasting saps your strength. The coaching team "of course" respects the fact that players observe their religious rules, "but we have to make sure that we bring the boys onto the pitch who have the necessary strength".

"First few days of Ramadan a bit difficult!"
BVB striker Serhou Guirassy seems to be coping with the fasting period a little better than Bensebaini, who recently said in an interview that "the first few days [of Ramadan] can be a bit difficult". The Guinean was not only in the starting eleven, he even played the full 93 minutes of the match ...

Incidentally, in the 8th minute of the game, shortly after sunset, referee Sandro Schärer briefly interrupted the Champions League match so that Guirassy, Bensebaini and Co. could "break" their fast in accordance with their religious rules. During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating from dawn until sunset, among other things.