Valencia official stops muslim player from removing beer sponsor’s bottle from press conference
October 15, 2015
Commerce is the only religion that modern football has room for and Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi found that out upon arriving for a press conference.
When Mustafi, who is muslim, saw that a bottle of beer had been set in front of where he would be sitting for product placement purposes, he moved it aside as a club employee adjusted the microphone. Mustafi told the man that he didn’t want the beer in front of him since his religion prohibits him from posing with alcoholic beverages. But instead of saying “Oh, ok, that’s totally understandable,” the guy picked up the beer and put it back in its original place.
Mustafi then expressed his disgust and shook his head.
And that’s what happens when a player asks their club to put him ahead of a sponsor.