German soccer club Fortuna Düsseldorf pulled out of a deal to sign Israeli striker Shon Weissman from Spanish club Granada after receiving backlash from supporters, Fortuna announced on Tuesday.
In a statement on its official social media accounts, Fortuna said it “looked into [the purchase of] Shon Weissman in great detail, but ultimately decided not to pursue a signing.”
German media reported on Monday that Weissman was close to sealing a €500,000 transfer to the German second division side.
The Monday reports caused a stir among Fortuna supporters, who shared quotes from Weissman in which he expressed support for IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, with some referring to Weismann’s views as “extreme.”
Israeli player called for Gaza to be 'wiped out'
Weissman called for the Gaza Strip to be “wiped out,” along with other comments made in now-deleted posts across social media platforms.
The German club initially defended Weissman from supporter outrage over the potential signing, stating that the fans’ disapproval of Weismann “doesn’t really fit our vibe” in a reply to an X/Twitter post showcasing a quote from Weismann taken from Wikipedia.
“What’s going on here? I’m getting one notification after another after work,” the club’s official account replied. “Basically: Judging people you don’t know based on a Wikipedia article?! Doesn’t really fit our vibe.”
However, Fortuna Düsseldorf appeared to backtrack from its defense of Weissman less than 24 hours later, confirming to supporters that it would stop its pursuit of the Israeli striker.
Weissman reacted to the backlash for the first time in an X post later on Tuesday, writing that while October 7 “remains an open wound,” he will not “allow myself to be painted as someone who promoted hate.”
“I am a son of a nation still grieving from the horrors of October 7. That black day, when entire families were murdered, kidnapped, and brutalized, remains an open wound for me. As a person, as an Israeli, and as an athlete representing my country. It is both possible and necessary to oppose harm to innocent people on both sides. But I won’t allow myself to be painted as someone who promoted hate with 3 likes and 1 comment that was deleted instantly.
“While I accept all criticism, it pains me that the full context was not considered,” Weissman said, adding that “at the end of the day, a person will always stand with their country, no matter what. No outsider can ever truly understand what we have been through.
“I will continue to proudly carry the Israeli flag wherever I play,” he noted.
Weissman, who joined Granada in 2023, began his career in Maccabi Haifa before making his first move abroad in 2019 to play for Austrian outfit Wolfsberger AC, where he attracted the interest of teams from across Europe’s top leagues after scoring 30 goals in 31 matches in the Austrian Bundesliga. He then moved to Spain in 2020 as part of a transfer to Real Valladolid.
The Israeli striker was previously embroiled in controversy due to his comments on the war in Gaza in 2023, which caused him to be temporarily dropped from his team’s travels due to security reasons.