German club Mainz have lost a court appeal against a verdict for wrongful dismissal by Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi.

The Bundesliga side terminated El Ghazi's contract in November 2023 following a series of social media posts he made about the Israel-Gaza conflict.

In July 2024, a German court ruled this to be a wrongful termination and the player's statements fell within the scope of freedom of expression.

Mainz appealed, but the Rhineland-Palatinate State Labor Court upheld its original decision on Wednesday.

"We have to accept the court's decision," said club chairman Stefan Hofmann.

"However, we stand by our position: Based on the values ​​and convictions that define Mainz 05, the continued employment of individuals who express and behave in fundamental contradiction to these values ​​will remain out of the question."