We meet Ereleta Memeti and Hasret Kayikci before training at the Dreisam Stadium in Freiburg. At 18 degrees and a cloudy sky, they make a relaxed and happy impression. They look forward to the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan. They eat and drink nothing during the day – not even during the training sessions. “Sure, it’s a bit exhausting, but it’s a really nice month,” says Hasret Kayikci, Freiburg captainahead.
What does Ramadan mean for footballers?
“In Islam, Ramadan is the month in which the Koran was revealed to us by the prophet Mohammed. And the month is one of the most important for us,” explains Ereleta Memeti. The 22-year-old has Kosovar roots and has been playing at SC Freiburg since 2020. Hasret Kayikci has been in Breisgau since 2011 and adds: “The first day is a bit difficult because you have to adapt a bit.” This year, she says, it’s probably going to be easier for her to forgo drinks, especially because it’s cooler. “Of course there were times when it was over 30 degrees and then it’s difficult not to drink anything. But I never had the feeling that I couldn’t do it.”
Coach and team stand behind them
But how is your fasting received by the team? Hasret Kayikci says if no one on the team knew, it probably wouldn’t even notice. But it is also clear to them that the month of fasting is simply part of their religion and should therefore not be a secret. The coach and the team know that Kayikci and Memeti don’t eat or drink during the day. They are still “completely normal players” and they have never been accused of a poor performance being due to Ramadan, says 30-year-old Kayikci. Nevertheless, it is easier for the coach to classify in very hot weather when “a player at the back no longer has the strength for the last sprint.” The other soccer players also support the two during the month of fasting. Because in the evenings, when they eat and drink again after the sun goes down, the other players invite them over to eat.
“Can you play at all?”
Outside of the team, Hasret Kayikci also perceives a lack of understanding: “A lot of people make judgments about it. If I say I’m playing in the Bundesliga and I’m fasting, then that’s about it, can you play at all?” Her answer then: “I think you always make it.” It is a matter of will and because it is part of her belief, she can do it. There are also people who are doing much worse and “people who have to work much harder than we do. And they can do it too. And then think me, why shouldn’t I do it?”
Both athletes generally like to talk about Ramadan and explain what they are doing there. Even if you have heard some questions many times before. For example, whether they are really not allowed to drink water: “It’s funny, so it’s fun to answer the questions.” Finally, they are also interested in Christian festivals such as Easter or Christmas, although they do not celebrate them themselves.
Humility and Gratitude through Ramadan
That the two of them keep fasting during the day despite competitive sports, is out of the question for Ereleta Memeti: “We believe in Allah, and I believe that he gives me the energy to endure the day, that I can fast – especially alongside competitive sports.” Especially since it is a free decision for them to fast while other people have to suffer from hunger and thirst. That’s why she often thinks that she can only endure a few hours, I can do it. Hasret Kayikci also feels humility and gratitude at the end of a day or even at the end of the whole month of fasting. Her mother always said not to eat or drink, that’s how it always goes for poor children and families: “We can eat and drink as much as we want in the evening.” Ereleta Memeti agrees that the appreciation for the food is then much greater. And the shared experience at dinner in the evening is just great. She’s looking forward to the company, says Hasret Kayikci: “When you’ve fasted all day, you invite people over and then everyone eats together. That’s actually a cool thing.”
Ramadan ends at the beginning of May with the Sugar Festival. In the interview, you can tell from the two footballers that they will enjoy doing without until then – despite competitive sport.
Source: SWR