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Football

24th May 2018

Mohamed Salah set to fast on day of Champions League final due to Ramadan

This is how the timings of opening his fast and kickoff work out

Nooruddean Choudry

Fair play to him for being so committed to his beliefs.

Mohamed Salah is set to maintain his religious routine and fast on the day of the Champions League Final, according to reports in his homeland. Egyptian newspaper Al Masry al Youm claim that the Liverpool marksman will continue to adhere to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and therefore abstain from any food or drink during daylight hours.

Ramadan started last week, and is due to end on around Friday June 15 (although this will depend on when the crescent of the new moon is sighted). We do know that Salah has been fasting during the holy month thus far, but the Egyptian paper confirms that he will continue to do so through the weekend.

This means that Liverpool’s leading goalscorer will open his fast on Saturday evening at around 8.53pm local time in Kyiv. But Liverpool fans needn’t worry about their Egyptian King starting the game with Real Madrid in a state of abstinence. Ukraine uses Eastern European Summer Time, and is two hours ahead of GMT.

That means the game kicks off at 9.45pm local time (7.45pm GMT) – just under an hour after Salah is permitted to eat and drink. Colleague and strike partner Sadio Mane is also a devout Muslim and is expected to join his teammate in observing the fast. The pair will be hoping for a date with destiny, and the reward of winners’ medals for their devotion come full time.