( CNN ) -- Portuguese football coach Jose Mourinho , ever the headline creator , has caused further outcry this week after he substituted Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari from his Inter Milan side during their Italian Serie A clash with Bari . Inter midfielder Sulley Muntari was substitued Jose Mourinho for his low-energy levels as a result of fasting . Taking a tired player from the field of play was hardly breaking news , at least it was n't until Mourinho revealed the move had been prompted because the player 's perceived `` low-energy levels '' were as a result of fasting . Muntari is a practicing Muslim who , like many of the same faith around the world , is currently not eating during the hours of daylight to mark the Ramadan holy period .Should fasting footballers be dropped by their managers ? Sound Off below . A discipline that clearly irked Mourinho who said in a post-match press conference : `` Muntari had some problems related to Ramadan , perhaps with this heat it 's not good for him to be doing this ( fasting ) . Ramadan has not arrived at the ideal moment for a player to play a football match . '' Muslim leaders in Italy have criticized the opinions of the coach known as the `` Special One '' , but Mourinho did not rule out the possibility of dropping the player for the Milan derby between arch rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan this weekend for the same reason . Click here to see our gallery of the top 10 Muslim football stars » . Elsewhere in Italy , fellow Muslim and Siena striker Abdelkader Ghezzal added to the debate by revealing he can not fast and play at the same time . `` I 've always observed Ramadan but I have had to change my habits for health reasons from the first year that I became a professional . Before that I played at Crotone [ while fasting ] but after two weeks I felt ill and had to stop . '' Egypt 's Under-20 football squad passed up the chance to break the Ramadan fast to help them prepare for the forthcoming World Youth Championship which they host at the end of September . The Egyptian Football Association confirmed that the Dar al-Ifta , the country 's institution which clarifies religious principles and issues edicts , had given specific permission for the players to legitimately avoid fasting . It is not just Ramadan which has caused issues between Muslim players and their clubs . The beliefs of Sevilla striker Freddie Kanoute have conflicted with the demands of his professional career . Kanoute taped over the logo of the Sevilla club 's shirt sponsors - internet gaming company 888.com -- in 2006 because he said Islam forbade the promotion of gambling . So is Mourinho right to take account of how religious practices may affect his players ' performance ? Is it wrong to drop a fasting footballer whose energy levels may be lower than his teammates ? Should Mourinho contemplate that a player of faith may perform better in a period of self-enforced discipline ? Were the Egyptian players right to carry on fasting even though they were given permission to break the fast ? If Kanoute right to bring his religious beliefs into his place of work ? And can sport and religion ever be separated in a satisfactory way ? Let us know your thoughts in the Sound Off box below .
Jose Mourinho substituted Sulley Muntari because he had been low energy . The Ghanaian midfielder is a Muslim and had been fasting during Ramadan . Egypt 's national youth team turned down the opportunity to break the fast . Comment: