Fans Unfurl Flags and Call for a “Red Card”
As the new football season opened in Manchester, supporters raised Palestinian and Iranian flags, demanding Israel’s expulsion from FIFA.
Protesters held banners reading “FIFA Red Card for Israel,” drawing attention to the killings of Palestinian athletes under Israeli military attacks.
The demonstrations echoed a growing movement across European football, where anger against Israel has intensified due to the genocide in Gaza and targeted assaults on Palestinian sports.
Reports confirm that Israeli military attacks have killed at least 502 Palestinian footballers and 43 Iranian athletes since the escalation began.
Palestinian Athletes Targeted and Stadiums Destroyed
For decades, Israel has deliberately attacked Palestinian sports infrastructure. In Gaza, Israeli forces have destroyed nearly 300 sports facilities, including the historic Yarmouk Stadium. Once a hub of community life, Israel turned Yarmouk into a detention camp where Palestinians were tortured.
Athletes have not been spared. The recent killing of Suleiman al-Obeid, former captain of the Palestinian national team and affectionately known as the “Palestinian Pelé,” highlighted Israel’s systematic targeting.
Israeli forces shot al-Obeid dead while he queued for food aid for his children, one of thousands of Palestinians massacred amid the siege and starvation.
UEFA, however, failed to condemn his murder, prompting outrage among players and fans alike.
Manchester’s History of Solidarity
Manchester United fans have previously shown solidarity with Palestine, partly inspired by club legend Eric Cantona, a vocal critic of Israel’s oppression. Other football figures, including Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola, have also called for justice, urging FIFA and UEFA to end their silence.
Campaigners highlight the double standard: FIFA banned South Africa for apartheid and quickly suspended Russia after it invaded Ukraine. Yet, despite Israel’s 77 years of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, it continues to enjoy full sporting rights.
Italian Coaches Push for Israel’s Suspension
The movement extends beyond fans. Italy’s Football Coaches’ Association (AIAC) has demanded FIFA bar Israel from all international tournaments. In a formal letter to the Italian Football Federation, AIAC leaders declared:
“Given the daily massacres, which have also resulted in hundreds of deaths among managers, coaches, and athletes, it is legitimate and necessary to demand Israel’s exclusion from sporting competitions.”
Italy will face Israel in two World Cup qualifiers in September and October. Authorities plan to enforce tight security, staging one match on neutral ground in Hungary. Italian coaches warn that playing Israel while thousands of Palestinians are being slaughtered makes football complicit in genocide.
A Growing Campaign Across Europe
The push to ban Israel is gaining traction across Europe. German club Fortuna Düsseldorf recently abandoned plans to sign Israel international Shon Weissman after fans protested his pro-Israel social media posts.
With more than 62,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza and countless others displaced, activists insist that FIFA’s refusal to suspend Israel makes the governing body a partner in genocide.
“No More Excuses”
Campaigners are clear: the precedent exists, and global football must act. If FIFA could bar South Africa and suspend Russia, expelling Israel is long overdue.
Supporters vow to keep escalating pressure, declaring that ordinary fans and coaches will force football to reckon with its complicity in genocide.
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@lookqatar At the commencement of the new football season, Manchester fans displayed Iranian and P@lestinian flags while advocating for Israel’s expulsion from FIFA. On Sunday, protesters were seen holding banners that called for a “FIFA red card for Israel,” highlighting the tragic deaths of P@lestinian athletes. The sentiment against Israel has grown increasingly within European football, particularly in light of the fatalities among P@lestinian sportsmen. Reports indicate that since the onset of the conflict in G@za. 502 P@lestinian footballers and 43 Iranian athletes have lost their lives due to military actions. Manchester supporters have previously voiced their solidarity with P@lestine, a stance influenced in part by the vocal advocacy of club legend Eric Cantona for the P@lestinian cause. #Qatar #Doha #QatarNews #DohaNews #QatarInstagram
@xmanfofo25 in Manchester on the first day of the football season demanding Israel is excluded from the world governing body of football FIFA. Israel in 2 years have murdered over 430 Palestinian footballers and the Israeli Football Assocation incorporate 6 teams on stolen West Bank Palestinian land. EVERYONE should demand that Israel is no longer part of football and any other sports when they have for decades destroyed Palestinian sports and Palestinian sporting infrastructure. by MANPalestineMovement #genocide #palestine #gaza
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