Chapotraphouse

Mainz 05 has been ruled against in the settlement of footballer Anwar el Ghazi's dismissal. The Bundesliga club must pay the player, who was dismissed in 2023, his outstanding salary. According to the judge, freedom of expression takes precedence over the interests of the employer in this case. ‘We must accept the court's decision that the behaviour and actions of our employee following the horrific attack by Hamas in 2023 are not sufficient grounds for summary dismissal,’ responded Stefan Hofmann, the club and board chairman. Mainz had summarily dismissed El Ghazi after he made pro-Palestinian statements on Instagram following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The labour court ruled that the dismissal was unjustified and that the club had to pay El Ghazi €1.7 million in back pay. Mainz appealed, but lost the case.