Arsenal sponsor the Lavazza Group are in talks with the club over Mohamed Elneny’s tweet which expressed support for Palestine, as per The JC.
The midfielder was commenting on the conflict currently raging in the region. It was a message that had plenty of pro-Palestine imagery.
my heart and my soul and my support for you Palestine 🇵🇸 ✌️ pic.twitter.com/ywrpPk5Xmf
— Mohamed ELNeny (@ElNennY) May 10, 2021
This led to anger from many Jewish supporters of the north Londoners including Tal Oafer, a member of the board of deputies for the Lavazza Group.
The official put out a statement that said: “We’ll immediately reach out to Arsenal to remark we are concerned about the club associated with such a message.
“Content of this post is totally not aligned with our company values. Lavazza Group is fully committed against racism and antisemitism.”
Lavazza also contacted adidas who sponsor the club, but they did not reply. The Gunners’ issued a statement about Elneny’s post.
“As with any employees of Arsenal, our players are entitled to express their views on their own platforms,” it read.
“That said, we are speaking to Mo about this, so he understands the wider implications of his post.
“As a club, we are committed to confronting and eliminating all forms of discrimination and continue to champion the need for equality and diversity across all areas of life.”
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In some ways, this incident is reminiscent of what happened when Mesut Ozil posted his support for the Uighur Muslims in China.
However, the reaction from the Emirates Stadium was a bit different compared to what has happened with Elneny.
The midfielder has around 4.8 million followers, meaning his post has the potential to reach large numbers, and it already has around 94,000 likes.
However, the Gunners need to consider their sponsor’s response, and it is something that the club will have to sort out as soon as possible.
It is good to see Arsenal back their player and support Elneny’s right to express his opinion. It shows that they back freedom of expression and will stand behind their players.
Read: Premier League 2020/21 Week 36 – EPL Results & Table.
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