Liverpool's Mohamed Salah to Fast for Eighteen Hours Leading Up to Champions League Final
According to Egyptian fan site – El-Ahly.com – Salah will fast before the kick off of the final against Real Madrid in Kyiv next Saturday night – and with the increased day light hours in the European summer, this could mean up to 18 hours.
Many professional athletes fast during Ramadan while maintaining their playing regime – All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams and English cricketer Moeen Ali just to name a few.
“I have to make sure I am hydrated before I begin my fast,” Ali, who is currently playing for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, explained to the BBC last year. “My schedule does not change too much but I have to make sure I get a good sleep before the match.
“I have been doing it for a very long time so I am not worried about it. I am used to it and it is more a mental than physical thing.”
It has not been revealed if Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has put any plans in place to assist Salah during his fast but Egyptian Pharaohs coach Hector Cuper has already taken steps to make sure Salah and his team mates will not be affected in the lead up to the World Cup, which starts on June 14.
“The Egyptian Football Association has hired specialists to help me and the players during the fasting month of Ramadan,” Cuper said, according to sport360.com.
“We will organize and monitor their eating and sleeping and hope that this will not affect them badly.
“It may be a problem to the coaches because the players will stop eating from sunrise until sunset, so it will not be easy during training but that is to do with the religion and I can’t prevent them from observing Ramadan.
“We are working on this and seeking to find the best way to overcome fasting fatigue and prevent it from hurting the players.”
