Bundesliga 2 side Fortuna Düsseldorf have pulled out of a proposed transfer after historical social media posts from a player about the Israel and Gaza conflict were found by fans.
The German side were reportedly due to sign Israeli striker Shon Weissman from Spanish second-tier side Granada, but have since pulled out due to fan pressure, as reported by German outlet BILD.
Weissman, 29, represented several clubs across Europe, including Maccabi Haifa, Real Valladolid, before signing for Granada in 2023.
The forward registered two goals and two assists in 28 Segunda Division appearances during the 2024/25 campaign.
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And he was reportedly due to sign a contract at Düsseldorf before fan backlash caused the club to change their mind.
On Tuesday, the club tweeted: “We looked into Shon Weissman intensively, but ultimately decided not to sign him.”
The club did not confirm the exact reason for the change.
However, BILD reported that Weissman called for Israel to “wipe Gaza off the map” and to “drop 200 tons of bombs on it” following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
The 29-year-old, who has 33 caps for Israel, also allegedly liked posts saying “there are no innocents [in Gaza], they don’t need to be warned”.
As reported by Al Jazeera, in another post, he asked: “Why the hell aren’t they being shot in the head?” in response to a photograph of two detained Palestinian men.
The club’s decision came after some supporters started a petition urging the club’s management to cancel the move.
“Weissman’s comments, which have been widely perceived as discriminatory and disrespectful, are in stark contrast to the principles Fortuna Düsseldorf stands for and strives to promote,” the petition read.
“Signing him could damage the credibility of the club and its fan base, which embraces diversity and community.”
The conflict was previously a controversial topic in German football in 2023. Bundesliga outfit Mainz sacked Anwar El Ghazi for statements he made about the war on social media.
The death toll during the conflict is said to be more than 60,000 since October 2023.
Fortuna Dusseldorf declined to comment when contacted by SPORTbible.
Topics: Football, Bundesliga
Luke Davies