Riyad Mahrez carries Palestine flag as Man City celebrate title

Algerian becomes latest Premier League footballer to show support for Palestine

Manchester City's Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez has become the latest footballer to carry a Palestine flag on the pitch after a Premier League fixture.

Mahrez - one of the standout players in a season which came to an end on Sunday - waved the flag at the Etihad following City’s 5-0 rout of Everton.

The Algerian international and his teammates were celebrating City’s title win, and he follows a number of players who have shown their support for Palestine following a high-profile match.

Leicester City's England Under-21 international Hamza Choudhury and French Under-21 defender Wesley Fofana held a Palestinian flag aloft following their side's FA Cup win over Chelsea on Saturday May 15th.

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This was followed by Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Ivory Coast international Amad Diallo doing the same after their side's final fixture at Old Trafford this season, a 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Mahrez’s statement comes on a weekend when thousands have marched in pro-Palestine protests in Dublin and around the world. Organisers estimated more than 180,000 protestors were in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday.

248 Palestinians were reported killed by Israeli forces during a flare-up of the crisis, until a May 21st ceasefire. Israel has reported 12 dead.

Patrick Madden

Patrick Madden

Patrick Madden is a former sports journalist with The Irish Times