E in Algiers — Algerian football players and other athletes have a range of schedules during the holy month but everyone agrees that Ramadan is an opportunity to ease pressure and turn to worship and acts of goodness.

Taoufik Makhloufi, gold medallist in the 1500 metre race at the 2012 London Olympics, talked freely about his schedule during the month of Ramadan.

"I take this opportunity to congratulate all Arabs and Muslims on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, which I consider sacred," Makhloufi said. "I get ready for Ramadan early by fasting during the month of Shaaban in order to get closer to God. I perform the five daily prayers in the mosque."

He added, "When I do not have sport commitments, I spend Ramadan between worship, recitation of the holy Qur'an, and sleep."

Makhloufi stressed that entering the world of stardom did not affect him at all and did not change any of his qualities.

"I am down to earth and love humility," he said, admitting that he did not fast for a few days last Ramadan with a religious fatwa for his participation in the London Olympics. He made up for those days immediately after his return to Algeria.

As for Mahfoud Kerbadj, president of the Professional Football League (LFP), he stressed that the month of Ramadan affects him a lot because he is a heavy smoker and coffee drinker. He admitted on the other hand that he takes the opportunity to worship and get closer to God. Kerbadj also admitted an addiction to shopping.

"I am the one who buys to meet the daily needs of the family. Yet I often buy things that I do not need. The strange thing is that it happens to me every day. I do not notice it until after breaking the fast," Kerbadj said.

Algerian international Hillal Larbi Soudani, who recently transferred to Dinamo Zagreb, said he was attached to fasting during Ramadan. He stressed that it was more important than playing football despite the fact that it might cause him problems with officials of his team. Some officials of European clubs argue that fasting hurts physical endurance, the performance of players and the team in general.

Soudani told his team's official website that he would "not let go of fasting Ramadan, no matter what happens".

"I played with the Portuguese team Vitória de Guimarães, fasted during Ramadan and performed my duties accurately. So where is the problem? I will do the same thing in Croatia," he said.

His Algerian teammate Yacine Bezzaz, who plays for C.S. Constantine, complained of the same situation when he was a professional in France.

"I am proud of fasting, even though I was in exile. My football career was affected because of that; coaches did not want to depend on me due to the fact that I was fasting," Bezzaz said. "In the world of professional football, it is hard for any player to find his place after an absence of more than a month. All coaches with whom I have worked in Ajaccio, Strasbourg, Valenciennes or Troyes were asking me and my fellow Muslims to interrupt the fast."

Conversely the coach of MO Bejaia and former international player Mourad Rahmouni revealed that he has never smoked nor consumed alcohol. "I take care of my health a lot and this is perhaps the secret of my youth despite hitting my fifties. That is why fasting has not affected me, neither when I was a player nor now as a coach," Rahmouni said.

Former international goalkeeper Merouane Abdouni, who is currently residing in Norway after ending his career at the height of his youth, said that Ramadan was flavourless in Europe.

"There is no better way to spend the holy month than at home with family and friends whom I miss a lot in this month," he said.

JS Kabylie President Mohand Cherif Hannachi, who led his team to many successes at the African level, said his daily schedule during the month of Ramadan did not differ from the schedule of any other Algerian citizen.

"I spend most of my time in the service of my team," he said, adding, "My team has great memories of the holy month for we won three African Cups in the beginning of the millennium amid a festive atmosphere. No one can forget that. All of these memories will firmly remain in the minds of lovers and fans of the team."