DÜSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — The chairman of Fortuna Düsseldorf has defended the German soccer club’s decision to pull out of signing Israeli player Shon Weissman after fan backlash over his contentious social media posts about Gaza, and said it’s “absurd” to accuse the second-division team of antisemitism.
Düsseldorf announced Tuesday that it would not sign Weissman from Spanish team Granada despite having been in advanced negotiations.
Fans had opposed the planned signing of the 29-year-old Weissman because of his social media posts expressing support for Israel’s conduct in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Weissman’s Instagram account was set to “private” on Saturday.
In the social media post on Tuesday announcing the decision, the club did not say why it had called off the transfer. But Fortuna issued a statement on Friday saying Weissman’s “statements on social media and the subsequent handling of them were not consistent with our values.”
Chairman Klaus Allofs defended the club’s decision before the team’s match against Hannover on Saturday, but acknowledged that a faster process to reach the decision would have been preferable.
“I wouldn’t say it was a mistake. We tried to sign a player and I think that’s legitimate,” Allofs said. “It’s also part of our values, that we don’t limit ourselves with prejudices and rule things out from the start.”
Allofs said the club deliberately waited to consult with Jewish community members in Düsseldorf before deciding against the signing.
Asked about accusations of antisemitism, Allofs said: “It’s absurd, to put it bluntly.”
Israel’s air and ground campaign has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. Hamas-led militants triggered the war when they stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 people.
Shortly after those attacks, Weissman sat out Granada’s Spanish league game at Osasuna over security concerns. Authorities had been worried about a potentially hostile atmosphere created by Osasuna supporters angered by Weissman’s social media posts.
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