Confidential SPORT: Ousmane Dembele's culinary needs
The French player was stuck in a hotel at first after his injury
The food he ate had to be specially prepared by the hotel staff
In the hotel in Barcelona where Ousmane Dembele is staying they know exactly what the player's culinary tastes are. In the first few weeks after his injury, Demeble had to spend 24 hours a day in his room without moving his leg, so he needed complete help from the staff at the hotel. Dembele, a follower of Islam, follows a strict religious diet. That means things like alcohol and pork are strictly off the menu.
His preferred dish is chicken, but cooked as explained in the Quran, sacrificed in the correct way. That sacrifice must be made with a quick incision with a sharp blade in the throat, leaving the spine intact. The goal of this technique is to achieve a greater drainage of blood as well as minimise the pain and agony of the animal. The term that is given to this practice is 'halal'. All the meat consumed by Dembele must be interpreted in this way. His family that accompanies him, parents and brother, are also strict followers of these practices.
In fact, one of the most important festivals of Islam is a feat of sacrifice, which takes place during Eid al-Adha in September and when Dembele's family travelled to Meca to celebrate it, although the player had to remain in Barcelona.
