Fans are convinced Luca Ranieri 'faked injury and wasted time' so Sofyan Amrabat could break his Ramadan fast
Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was spotted eating bananas and drinking water by the touchline during stoppage time as he fasted for the month of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan begins on March 23 and is observed by Muslim players around the world, who fast from morning to night.
Inter Milan host Fiorentina on Saturday at the San Siro in a game that starts at 5pm in the UK, which is 6pm in Italy.
Amrabat came on from the bench in the second half and replaced Gaetano Castrovilli for Fiorentina, whose impressive 1-0 win the night before Inter.
With Fiorentina leading 1-0 in injury time thanks to Giacomo Bonaventura, Inter pressed to equalize late. In injury time, however, Amrabat was spotted on the touchline in the crucial late stages of the game receiving both a banana and water.
April 1 fasting ends at 7 a.m.:
3:00pm UK time, with the sun setting in the final minutes of Inter vs Fiorentina.
Fans believe Fiorentina defender Luca Ranieri 'wasted time' in injury time to give Amrabat enough time to clear the ball quickly.
Footage shows Ranieri receiving medical treatment but fans believe he was 'faking the injury' while teammate Fiorentina ate bananas and drank water.
"Respect and play fair," one fan said in response to the footage. Another added:
"Brothers help brothers."
"I [an] atheist and that's fine with me, LOL. Brother needs to eat," a third Twitter user wrote.
Fourth comment:
"Must love that! Well done!"
While one fan simply tweeted:
"It's so good."
And another post:
"You like to watch."
The month of Ramadan will end on April 30, and the Muslim religious holiday Eid al-Fitr will take place after a 30-day fast.
Inter remain third in the table and are just two points above fourth-placed AC Milan, who will face Serie A leaders Napoli on Sunday night.
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Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has backed Arsenal to victory in their upcoming Premier League matches. The Scottish expert believes the Gunners are a good candidate to beat his former team when they meet at Anfield in the framework of the league next Sunday (April 9).
Nicol said on ESPN's YouTube channel:
“Under normal circumstances, I would say oh, they have tough games. But you know what, aside from the Man City game, they're strong contenders to beat everybody, including Liverpool at Anfield, which I can't believe."
He added:
“Even in my day, Liverpool vs Arsenal at Anfield was usually a difficult 90 minutes for Arsenal. It's hard to see that happen. They are in good form and confident. And the number of goals they score, the number of chances they create, the way they play, there seems to be no fault at the moment.
Anfield is famous for its loud and energetic crowd, sometimes dubbed Liverpool's '12th man'. However, Arsenal are in very good form this season. The Gunners currently lead the league with eight points clear following a 4-1 win over Leeds United on Saturday April 1.
Mikel Arteta's men also won 3-2 over the Reds in the second leg in October. Meanwhile, Liverpool are disappointing in the Premier League this season. Jurgen Klopp's army has dropped to 8th place in the rankings after a 1-4 loss to Manchester City yesterday.
'He knits everything together' - Paul Merson says Arsenal striker 'reminds him' of Liverpool star
Paul Merson has praised Gunners striker Gabriel Jesus, comparing him to compatriot and Liverpool star Roberto Firmino.
Jesus put in a stellar performance in the Gunners' 4-1 win over Aston Villa, scoring a brace. The Brazil international's performance at the Emirates was applauded by Merson, who said on Sky Sports (via Metro):
"I think he's special. He just brings something different to the team. He comes from the players, he weaves everything together, he reminds me of Roberto Firmino at Liverpool when he was at the pump, playing with [Sadio] Mane and [Mohamed] Salah."
He added:
"Jesus is the same for Arsenal. He puts everything together, he goes short, he can go long. He's just a good player."
Jesus has seven goals and six assists in 17 appearances for the Gunners this season.
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