German club refuses to sign Israeli striker after his posts about Gaza

In a move that sparked widespread controversy, the German club Fortuna Düsseldorf, which has been competing in the second division since its relegation from the top league in 2020, announced its decision to back out of the deal to sign Israeli striker Shon Weissman, following a massive wave of anger from the club's fans on social media.

According to the German newspaper "Bild", the club decided to cancel the deal despite the 29-year-old player's arrival in Düsseldorf and undergoing a routine medical examination, due to Weissman's controversial posts related to the war in Gaza.

Weissman, who has played 33 international matches with the Israeli national team, angered the public after he posted on his social media accounts calls to "wipe Gaza off the map" and "drop 200 tons of bombs on it".

He also liked posts saying that "there are no innocents in Gaza and no need to warn them", which caused widespread outrage.

Although Weissman later deleted these posts and apologized, stating that he made a mistake, he could not calm the anger of Düsseldorf fans who launched an online petition condemning the player's "disrespectful and discriminatory" statements that "contradict the club's values and principles".

This was not the first time Weissman sparked controversy, as he previously caused issues with fans of the Spanish club Granada, which he joined in January 2023, due to his political posts.

The German club confirmed that it thoroughly examined the matter before making the final decision not to sign the player, merely stating that it did not disclose the reasons officially, but sources from the newspaper confirmed that fan pressure was the decisive factor in canceling the deal.