German Club Fortuna Dusseldorf Withdraws From Signing Israel Forward Shon Weissman Over Anti-Gaza Posts
German Bundesliga 2 club Fortuna Dusseldorf pulled out of the deal to sign Israel striker Shon Weissman over his old anti-Gaza posts.
- Fortuna Dusseldorf withdrew from signing Israel striker Shon Weissman at the last minute
- The club cited an intensive review but did not specify fan backlash as the reason publicly
- Fans opposed Weissman due to his past anti-Gaza social media posts, which he deleted
With only an official announcement pending in their long pursuit of Israel striker Shon Weissman, German football club Fortuna Dusseldorf pulled out of the deal at the last minute. The late change of heart in the club's management came after fan backlash over some of Weissman's old anti-Gaza posts. Weissman had reportedly agreed a deal to sign for the German club from Spanish side Granada but fans strongly objected to the move, making Dusseldorf pull the plug in the last minute.
On Tuesday, the club made the decision public, though without highlighting the reason. A statement from Dusseldorf read: "We looked into Shon Weissman intensively, but ultimately decided not to sign him".
INFO-TWEET
— Fortuna Dusseldorf (@f95) August 5, 2025
Wir haben uns intensiv mit Shon Weissman beschaftigt, uns aber final entschieden, von einer Verpflichtung abzusehen.#f95 |
As per a report in German publication, Bild, it was fans' anger that made the club withdraw from the race to sign the Israel striker. As per the report, Weissman had called for Israel to "wipe Gaza off the map" and to "drop 200 tons of bombs on it", in now deleted posts.
Weissman was also at the center of fan protests when he joined Spanish side Granada in 2023.
Shon Weissman On Controversy
After his move to Fortuna Dusseldorf broke down, Weissman said that he isn't someone who promotes hate, and the highlighted posts on social media were deleted instantly after being posted.
In a series of tweets, Weissman said: "I am a son of a nation still grieving from the horrors of October 7th. 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's 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. If that's hard for some to accept, they should take another look at what happened on October 7th."
It's 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.
— shonweissman9 (@shonweissman9) August 5, 2025
"While I accept all criticism, it pains me that the full context was not considered. In a moment of national and personal heartbreak, I remain committed to the values of humanity, sportsmanship, and mutual respect."
"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've been through."
"Loyalty isn't up for debate. Especially not when your people are still burying their dead. I am deeply grateful for the support I've received from people that actually know me. I will continue to proudly carry the Israeli flag wherever I play."