Former Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi wins unfair dismissal case against Mainz | OneFootball

Former Aston Villa promotion winner Anwar El Ghazi, who helped the club up via the 2019 play-offs, has won his unfair dismissal case against Mainz, and the judgment is now legally binding.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, a German Labour Court on Thursday rejected a Mainz application concerning leave to appeal an earlier finding, exhausting the club's options.

El Ghazi joined the Bundesliga side in 2023. He was suspended after sharing posts featuring the phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", a slogan seen by some as a call for the destruction of Israel, while others say it appeals for equality for Palestinians and Israelis.

The club offered to reintegrate him if he distanced himself from the comments. He declined and expressed no regret, and his contract was terminated with immediate effect.

In July 2024 he won an unfair termination case that entitled him to more than 1.5 million euros. Freedom of expression was judged to outweigh the club's interests.

After the latest ruling, his X post derided Mainz's decision makers and urged them to pay the remainder of his contract. El Ghazi scored 26 goals in 119 games and is currently playing in Qatar.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com