The Manchester United duo showed their support for the people of Palestine
Manchester United duo Paul Pogba and Amad Diallo unveiled a Palestine flag after full-time in their side’s final home game of the Premier League season in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people caught in the midst of the ongoing conflict with Israel.
United played out a 1-1 draw with already-relegated Fulham at Old Trafford, with some supporters allowed into the stadium for the first time this season to watch the game.
As is tradition after the final home game of the season, United’s players performed a lap of appreciation after full-time at Old Trafford, which saw Pogba and Diallo unfurl the flag.
🇵🇸 @paulpogba @Amaddiallo_19 pic.twitter.com/iXPrslxoIi
— Scott Patterson (@R_o_M) May 18, 2021
Following the game, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was asked about the duo carrying the flag about during that lap of the pitch. He told reporters:
“We need to have players from different backgrounds, different cultures, different countries, and I think we need to respect their views if they differ from someone else’s.
“If my players think about other things than football that’s a positive thing and I think we’ve seen that with some of the players before that they do care about.
“Say Marcus Rashford, for example, the difference he’s made. We respect their right to have a different view.”
This comes within a week of Leicester duo Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana doing the same shortly after their side triumphed over Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Choudhury went on to drape the flag over his shoulders when the trophy was lifted.
It has since been confirmed that neither player will face punishment, after some suggestions this could be viewed as a political statement. However, the Independent reports that the FA does not investigate the general use of flags on the field of play, meaning that the two players are set to avoid any disciplinary action.
