Kolo Touré

Kolo Touré: Ramadan Means Everything To Me; It Is A Time Of Blessing

Leicester City First Team Coach Kolo Touré has opened up about his experiences of the holy month of Ramadan and what the celebration means to him.

- First Team Coach Kolo Touré shares his experiences of Ramadan
- Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide
- This year’s celebration will start from Saturday 2 April to Sunday 1 May

Taking place this year from the evening of Saturday 2 April to Sunday 1 May, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims won't eat or drink during the hours of daylight, with this called fasting.

Ahead of Ramadan, the former Premier League defender discusses the importance of celebrating, some of the challenges he faced as a professional footballer as well as the advice he gives to others.

He said: “Ramadan means everything to me; it is a time of blessing and is a time of praying more than ever.

“I’m looking forward to Ramadan with my family, friends and Muslim community, but also the non-Muslim community too because this is a moment where you have to share with other people from all over the world.”

Born in Ivory Coast, Kolo made over 300 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, and joined the Foxes as First Team Coach in February 2019.

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Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré

Kolo says without his religion, he would not be the person he is now.

“Not having any water or food in my body was the most difficult aspect for me as a player," he said.

“The first thing you want to do after a training session or if you’ve been in the gym is to drink water or get some fluid in your body, so it was very challenging, but on the flip side it was incredible too.

“The first week of Ramadan is very hard but then after that your body just gets used to it and you don’t even start thinking about water.”

Kolo believes respect is an important factor in understanding Ramadan and explains how he kept his discipline during the month.

“I never had any issues from any players or managers when I was fasting because the most important thing about Ramadan is respect," he said.

“You have to try and be as disciplined as possible too by making sure you go to sleep at the right time, and you rest well because that will help you to give 100 per cent when you train.

“You have to make sure other people don’t notice you’re fasting and that’s the key because that’s what I’ve tried to do every time. I always tried to be extra focused in training and show no weaknesses.”

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Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré

The former Liverpool defender has worked at the Football Club since 2019.

Last season’s game between Leicester and Crystal Palace was believed to be the first time in Premier League history that a fixture had been paused to allow Muslim players to eat and drink mid-game.

City defender Wesley Fofana, along with Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyate, took energy gels at the side of the pitch to break their Ramadan fast, something Kolo was pleased to see.

He added: “The world is moving forward now, and you can see that we’re all trying to understand each other.

“The inclusion is there, and people are trying to understand why a person is doing that, which is the most important thing.

“I try to advise and help the players in our squad who are fasting because it’s not easy.

“Your religion is the most important thing in my opinion, and it means everything to me. Without my religion I don’t think I’d be who I am now because I feel like my religion has made me a better person.

“These are the sorts of things I’m telling the lads here at Leicester and for them to be the best that they can be.”

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