Nantes’ coach Antoine Kombouare isn’t backing down from his principles. He put a clear set of rules for his Muslim players: the team’s results are above everything else.As a result, Kombouare decided not to include young defender Jaouen Hadjam into his matchday squad to face Reims today. The Algerian international refused to break his Ramadan fast, something Kombouare asks of all his players.The former PSG coach wants to give his team the best chance of winning every game of football and therefore requested his players to take food on matchdays to have enough energy for a physically-intense event like a Ligue 1 game. Hadjam said no.Jaouen Hadjam has been dropped from the FC Nantes group for the match against Stade de Reims this afternoon. ❌🇩🇿 Antoine Kombouaré has however been clear for years: players who wish to observe the Ramadan fast will watch their teammates on TV! pic.twitter.com/sTJ02s7EyB— Eric NDAGIJIMANA (@EricNdagije250) April 2, 2023 According to RMC Sport, the left-back, who joined Nantes earlier this year from Paris FC, will sit the game out after he failed to comply with his coach’s rules. Kombouare, the only black man in charge of a club in the top five European leagues, was clear.”I met with all my Muslim players. We talked. We work to make everything go well, and we often succeed. But on the weekend, the players must be at the very top of their physical condition to make the team and to help the club win.”Jaouen Hadjam has already played during Ramadan this season. It was during the last qualifying match for the AFCON with Algeria against Niger (1-0 victory for the Fennecs). All the Algerian players had broken their fast twenty minutes before the end of the match. English Premier League has decided to allow breaks in play so Muslim players could break the fast, but the French league has decided against such practice.##NAJAVA_MECA_7142248##Kombouare’s principles are long-standing. He had the same rules in force when he was in charge of Paris Saint-Germain between 2009 and 2011. At least he has his principles and he stands by them. Let’s see if the result at the Stade Beaujoire will reflect his firmness.LIGUE 1 – ROUND 29FridayOlympique de Marseille – Montpellier 1-1 (1-1)/Guendouzi 44 pen – Nordin 12/SaturdayAuxerre – Troyes 1-0 (0-0)/Niang 73/Rennes – Lens 0-1 (0-1)/Openda 31/Sunday14:00: (1.45) Lille (4.70) Lorient (8.00)16:00: (6.50) Angers (3.80) Nice (1.58)16:00: (3.00) Brest (3.40) Toulouse (2.50)16:00: (2.20) Clermont (3.15) Ajaccio (3.60)16:00: (3.10) Nantes (3.30) Reims (2.50)18:05: (1.55) Monaco (4.00) Strasbourg (6.25)21:45: (1.45) PSG (4.40) Olympique Lyon (7.25)***odds are subject to change***
