Source:REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, Arsenal winger Noni Madueke and nine of his teammates pray and study Bible verses together before matches, which provides them with significant motivation on the field. The players gather for prayer before games, either in the dedicated prayer room set up by former Arsenal midfielder and devout Muslim Mohamed Elneny last December or in a quiet room near the locker room. Defender Jurriën Timber is one of the most open about his faith, often posting Bible verses on social media on match mornings, and Madueke shares his enthusiasm as well. At Arsenal, religious beliefs are not hidden, and players like Eze are free to practice their faith alongside their teammates. Madueke stated, “On the pitch, we have each other, but we believe God is also fighting for us, so I think that’s amazing. It brings us closer together. Before every match, we pray together for a few minutes, and then we also spend a few minutes in the hotel reading the Bible and praying. Sometimes it’s not even just prayer; it’s checking in on each other, greeting one another, things like that. It’s fantastic.”It is reported that a majority of the 25-man squad at Arsenal practices religion, with Christianity being the most common belief, as at least ten players identify with this faith.