Anwar El Ghazi wins unfair dismissal case as German court rules against Mainz | OneFootball

Former Aston Villa promotion winner Anwar El Ghazi has won his unfair dismissal case against Bundesliga club Mainz, with the judgment now final.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, a German labour court on Thursday rejected Mainz's attempt to deny leave to appeal an earlier ruling, exhausting the club's legal avenues.

El Ghazi joined Mainz in 2023 and was suspended after sharing posts on social media featuring the phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".

Some view the slogan as calling for Israel's destruction, while others say it calls for equality for Palestinians and Israelis. The club later offered a return if he distanced himself, which he refused, saying he did not regret the remarks.

His contract was then terminated with immediate effect. In July 2024 he won an unfair termination case, entitling him to more than 1.5 million euros, and the court said freedom of expression outweighed the club's interests.

After the latest verdict, El Ghazi posted on X: "Time for the deluded decision makers at Mainz to give it a rest and pay up the remainder of my contract."

The winger helped Villa win the Championship play-offs in 2019. He has scored 26 goals in 119 games and is currently playing in Qatar.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com