German second division soccer club Fortuna Düsseldorf has dropped plans to sign Israeli national team striker Shon Weissman following a wave of online protests over past social media posts relating to the ongoing war in Gaza, German newspaper Bild reported Tuesday.
News of Weissman’s imminent transfer from Granada FC in Spain to Düsseldorf sparked a swift backlash on social media late Monday, with fans objecting to the player's online statements following the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The club confirmed on Tuesday that it had reversed course. “We looked into Shon Weissman intensively, but ultimately decided not to sign him,” read a statement on Düsseldorf’s official social media account. The statement did not specify the reason for the decision.
According to Bild, the club responded directly to pressure from supporters angered by comments Weissman had posted online in the aftermath of Hamas’s brutal cross-border assault, which left over 1,200 Israelis dead and hundreds more taken hostage.
Weissman, who has earned 33 caps for Israel, had reportedly called for Israel to “wipe Gaza off the map” and to “drop 200 tons of bombs on it.” He also liked posts stating, “there are no innocents (in Gaza), they don't need to be warned.” The posts were later deleted, and Weissman acknowledged his error, saying he had reacted emotionally in the heat of the moment.
An online petition circulated by Düsseldorf fans accused the striker of making “disrespectful and discriminatory” remarks, which they claimed were incompatible with the club’s values.
Weissman, 29, had already arrived in Germany and completed a medical. According to Bild, the club and the player had prepared a public apology statement to be released once the signing was finalized.
Responding to the cancellation of the signing, Weissman wrote on his English-language Instagram account, “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 a member of an Israeli family, and as an athlete representing my country.”
He stressed, “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. If that's hard for some to accept they should take another look at what happened on October 7th. 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,” Weissman stated.
“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, and I will continue to proudly carry the Israeli flag wherever I play,” he concluded.