- Footage for the song was recorded during Leeds’ 2-0 win at Stoke on Boxing Day.
- The club warned fans that they could be breaking the law
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Leeds United condemned a section of their fans after they sang an anti-Palestinian chant in support of their Israeli player Manor Solomon.
Footage of the large group singing the song at Stoke City’s Bet365 Stadium during Leeds’ 2-0 Boxing Day win has been viewed more than five million times on X.
The lyrics, to the tune of the Manfred Mann song Do Wah Diddy Diddy, include the words: “Manor Solomon is on my mind and he hates Palestine.”
The club has since issued a damning statement, warning fans that they may be breaking the law by “unacceptable” chants of tragedy.
“Discriminatory language or chanting is not acceptable and supporters may be breaking the law,” a Leeds spokesperson said. ‘The club condemns this behavior and has a zero tolerance policy towards discrimination and abuse of any kind.
“Strict measures and sanctions are in place across all English football leagues to address illegal behavior within football fields, and this includes, but is not limited to, discriminatory behavior and tragic chants.”
Leeds fans sing anti-Palestinian song in support of Israeli player Manor Solomon
Footage of the song at Stoke City’s Bet365 stadium has been viewed more than five million times.
Salomón arrived on loan from Tottenham and has scored three goals
Both the FA and the Football League are believed to be aware of the chants.
Previously, the FA punished clubs for offensive songs by imposing fines, charging them with misconduct and implementing action plans.
Police can also take action if fans are deemed to have engaged in discriminatory behavior and the Crown Prosecution Service has previously suggested that people found guilty of singing tragedies could be banned from attending matches.
It is not yet known whether Leeds will face action over the derogatory chant.
Solomon joined Leeds on loan from Tottenham this season. He moved to England from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2022 after Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine.
He has contributed three goals and three assists during his time at Elland Road.
In 2023, Solomon posted several messages on social media apparently related to the conflict in the Middle East, which has claimed thousands of lives.
However, its representatives insisted that they were pro-Israel and not anti-Palestinian statements. Her Instagram account was deleted before being brought back due to a Meta error, rather than the content of her posts.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel unleashed its military response to Hamas attacks on October 7 last year. Attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have failed.