A Muslim footballer who refused to wear his team sponsor’s logo because it would be at odds with his faith is being branded a hypocrite after it emerged he has visited a casino.
Newcastle United striker Papiss Cissé pulled out of the team’s pre-season tour of Portugal because the club’s headline sponsor is pay-day loan company Wonga. Under some interpretations of Sharia law, Muslims consider it wrong to benefit from lending money. Interest is not paid on Islamic bank accounts or added to mortgages.
Former West Ham striker Frederic Kanoute – also a Muslim – was allowed by Sevilla to wear an unbranded shirt while they were sponsored by gambling company 888.com. Cissé had offered to wear a charity-branded shirt as a compromise, but this offer was rejected by the club. Newcastle teammates and fellow Muslims Hatem Ben Arfa and Cheick Tioté have not taken Cissé’s stance and have been wearing the loan company’s logo.
Now, however, images that purport to show Cissé at a gambling table in Aspers Casino in Newcastle. Sharia law expressly forbids any form of gambling.
Supporter Andrew McNally, who claims to have taken the photograph at a blackjack table in the casino, said the striker spoke about upcoming Newcastle games as he placed £10 and £20 stakes. McNally told a national newspaper: “Cissé was just placing small bets, £10 or £20 with £5 chips (..) A number of fans have said that they have seen him in there. You have to say it does undermine his stance on Wonga.”
A spokesperson for Aspers Casino described Cissé as “an occasional visitor” who was “very well behaved and very welcome”, but would not confirm whether or not he placed any bets.
Madou Diene, the player’s agent, said: “Papiss Cissé is not a gambler.”
Newcastle city councillor Dipu Ahad has previously defended Cissé’s stance on Wonga. He said: “I feel absolutely ashamed of what he’s done, there’s not just me there’s been other people who’ve been supporting him.
“But what he’s done now, seeing him in the casino, even if he wasn’t gambling, I think this gives a wrong message.
“People will say, ‘look, this is Islam they can pick and choose whatever they want’, and Islam isn’t about picking and choosing.”
It has been suggested that the Senegal international may have played his last game for Newcastle, with manager Alan Pardew faced with the prospect of having to offload his most potent attacking weapon. PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor is, however, still hopeful that a compromise can be reached which suits all parties.
He said: “We’re working with Newcastle United, Papiss and his advisor to achieve a satisfactory settlement.
“We’re consulting experienced people within football used to dealing with equality issues who are Muslims.”
Cissé joined Newcastle in a £9million deal from Freiburg in January last year and he was an immediate success in the coveted Newcastle No 9 shirt, scoring 13 goals in 14 games.
Newcastle signed a £24million deal with Wonga to replace Virgin Money as Newcastle’s sponsors last year.
