Weissman, 29, had reportedly finalized terms with the club and passed a medical exam earlier this week, but was unexpectedly instructed not to report to Tuesday morning training. The club’s management, which had held weeks of negotiations with the player, convened an emergency meeting and informed his representatives that the deal was being called off.
“We conducted a thorough review of the player, but ultimately decided not to sign him,” the club said in an official statement.
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Israeli national team striker Shon Weissman
(Photo: Oz Moalem)
Late Monday night, amid a flood of tagged posts on the club’s X (formerly Twitter) account, the club’s social media manager appeared to address the uproar, posting: “What is going on here? I’m getting messages nonstop after work. Judging people you don’t know based on their Wikipedia page? That’s not in line with our values.”
According to reports in German outlet Bild, Weissman had made a strong impression on club officials and had been in talks with Fortuna Düsseldorf for several weeks. The club was aware of the controversial posts, since deleted, before entering negotiations. Nevertheless, officials ultimately reversed course in response to the intensifying public pressure.