Court ruling in favour of Anwar El Ghazi in his dispute with Mainz over his support for Gaza

Moroccan-Dutch footballer Anwar El Ghazi has finally settled his legal dispute with German club Mainz 05, after the German Labour Court rejected the club’s appeal, thereby exhausting all legal avenues and making the ruling in favour of the player binding and final.

According to France24, the court ruled that freedom of expression takes precedence over the club’s interests in this case, in a decision considered significant in disputes between players and their clubs.

Anwar El Ghazi — legal victory and financial compensation

The case dates back to October 2023, when Mainz decided to suspend El Ghazi following his posts on social media expressing support for the Gaza Strip, which included the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

Subsequently, the club issued a statement announcing the possibility of the player’s return to the team, noting that he had “clearly distanced himself” from his remarks.

However, El Ghazi was quick to deny this via his social media accounts, stating: “I feel no regret or remorse for my stance”, which subsequently led the club to terminate his contract immediately, prompting the player to take legal action on grounds of unfair dismissal.

In July 2024, El Ghazi won the first-instance ruling in the case, which awarded him compensation exceeding €1.5 million, before Mainz unsuccessfully attempted to appeal the decision, with the final ruling rejecting the appeal and closing the case definitively.

Strong response and pledge to donate

Following the ruling, Anwar El Ghazi attacked the club’s management via the ‘X’ platform, describing the attempts to appeal as “ridiculous and pathetic”, adding that Mainz “tried again and failed again”. He also called on the club’s management to pay the remainder of his outstanding wages, pledging to donate the money to “causes worthy of support that aid the children of Gaza”.

During his career, El Ghazi played for a number of European clubs, most notably Aston Villa and Everton, before moving to Cardiff City in 2024, then to Al-Sailiya in 2025.

Featured image via the Canary