Nantes defender Jaouen Hadjam suspended from the team for refusing to break his Ramadan fast

Defender Jaouen Hadjam was left out of the team ffor not breaking his Ramadan fast.

After keeping up his fast during Ramadan, Nantes head coach Antoine Kombouare benched Algerian defender Jaouen Hadjam.

Hadjam was scheduled to play for Nantes against Reims in their most recent Ligue 1 match on Sunday, but Kombouare left him off the roster because he refused to break his fast for Ramadan.

After seeing his side suffer a 3-0 loss at the Stadium de la Beaujoire, Nantes' head coach revealed why he decided to bench the 20-year-old.

"There is no controversy. Those who fast, I support them. On match days, you should not fast. It is not a punishment. I set rules. It’s his choice and I respect it," Kombouare told reporters in his defence.

Islamists fast throughout the day during the month of Ramadan, which will finish with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr in the last week of April.

The English Football Association (FA) has instructed match officials to exploit natural breaks in play to enable players to break their fast.