Picture Credit: X
Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian and Liverpool forward, took to his official X account to slam UEFA over a tribute for Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid on his passing, which led to tons of reactions, not just from the football fans, but others as well. The 33-year-old questioned UEFA for failing to mention the circumstances surrounding the death of Suleiman al-Obeid, who was killed on Wednesday, August 6, in the southern part of the Gaza strip, and as per Palestinian Football Association (PFA), it happened in an Israeli attack while waiting for humanitarian aid.
Notably, Suleiman al-Obeid, hailed as the “Pele of Palestinian football”, managed to score in excess of 100 goals in his career, which included two goals in 24 caps for Palestine. According to the PFA, the 41-year-old is one of the 325 members of their football community, who have been killed since October 7, 2023, which includes players, managers, referees, coaches, and other members of the staff as well.
Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?: Mohamed Salah to UEFA on Suleiman al-Obeid's death
UEFA acknowledged the death of Suleiman al-Obeid and posted on their official X account on Saturday, August 9, which read, “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the 'Palestinian Pele'. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.” Mohamed Salah quoted their post, in which he called out UEFA by saying, “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
It has led to all kinds of reactions on X, with some supporting Mohamed Salah for questioning UEFA, while others didn’t like the way he was selective in taking a stand.
Below are some of the fan reactions on X on Mohamed Salah's post involving Suleiman al-Obeid and UEFA:
On October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attacks killed 1,200 people and 251 got taken hostage in Israel, the latter started a military offensive in Gaza. It is reported that in the better part of last two years, there have been more than 61,300 people killed in Gaza due to the military operations from Israel, while on Saturday, the health ministry run by Hamas said that there have been at least 38 people killed in the area in the past 24 hours.
