The chairman of Fortuna Dusseldorf has defended the club’s decision to pull out of signing Israeli player Shon Weissman following a fan backlash.
Supporters of the German Bundesliga 2 club protested over Weissman's contentious social media posts about Gaza, prompting the club to abandon their plans to sign him.
That has led to accusations of anti-Semitism, but chairman Klaus Allofs described such criticism as “absurd”.
Dusseldorf announced last week that they 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.
Weissman's Instagram account was set to “private” on Saturday.
In a 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 Allofs defended the club's decision before their match against Hannover on Saturday, but acknowledged it could have been handled better.
“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 Dusseldorf before deciding against the signing.
Asked about claims of anti-Semitism, Allofs said: “It’s absurd, to put it bluntly.”
Weismann repsonded to the failed transfer with a statement saying he objected to being "painted as someone who promoted hate".
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 towards famine.
The campaign is a response to the attacks of October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 people.
Shortly after those attacks, Weissman sat out of 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.
Scorebox
Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88
Eagles
Try: Penalty
Bahrain
Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley
Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
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