City have a memorable history with a number of Muslim players.
German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan captained the side to the Treble in 2023, while Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez was also part of that squad and won the PFA player of the year award with Leicester City in 2016.
Ivorian Yaya Toure scored the winning goal in the 2011 FA Cup final against Stoke City to end the club’s 35-year wait for a major trophy – a year later he refused a bottle of champagne for man of the match on live television, stating his Islamic beliefs, with the Premier League subsequently changing the prize to a trophy.
Though City’s training kit is sponsored by Japanese beer company Asahi, its Super Dry 0.0% brand is printed on it, meaning Muslim players are advertising a non-alcoholic product.
It is subjects like these that City players and staff are being educated about by the Muslim Chaplains in Sport (MCS) organisation, which has been working closely with the club since 2016-17 from the under-8s all the way up to the first team.
MCS founder Imam Ismail Bhamji explains to BBC Sport: “We visit clubs and often lead prayers and we sit down and learn about a particular subject afterwards. I am then available for club staff and players.
“I walk around club training facilities and buildings, meeting people and help sort out any issues that they may have and discuss in confidentiality.”
This month Guardiola spoke at a news conference about the “hurt” he feels for victims of global conflict, including the thousands killed in Palestine.
Imam Ismail says it is a subject that has struck a chord within some clubs, adding: “If help is needed, people do reach out to me for guidance on family matters and personal issues.
“One example is being asked about how to navigate the war in Gaza – in controlling their emotions and not be at risk of losing their jobs by posting something on social media.”
