Liverpool: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah criticized European football's governing body UEFA over its tribute to former Palestinian international Suleiman al-Obeid. The Egyptian star, one of the most prominent Arab soccer players globally, highlighted UEFA's post on X, noting it did not mention how al-Obeid died.
According to Deutsche Welle, al-Obeid was shot by Israeli forces while civilians were waiting for aid in the southern Gaza Strip. In response to UEFA's post, Salah inquired: "Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?" Salah, a leading figure in the English Premier League, has consistently advocated for increased humanitarian access into Gaza.
In October 2023, shortly after the conflict began, Salah urged world leaders to unite to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza to prevent further loss of innocent lives. The PFA reported that the 41-year-old Obeid was killed when Israeli forces attacked civilians gathered for humanitarian aid distribution in southern Gaza.
Obeid, born in Gaza City, was married with five children and played 24 international matches for Palestine. He was nicknamed the Palestinian Pele, after the legendary Brazilian footballer. Obeid scored twice for the Palestinian national team, including a notable scissors kick goal against Yemen in the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship. UEFA ranks team Palestine, recognized as a national team in 1998, at 129th in its world rankings.
Salah is not the only Premier League figure to speak out about Gaza. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola delivered an emotional speech in June, expressing his pain over the situation in Gaza. He emphasized that it was about the love of life and caring for one's neighbor, rather than ideology.
In late 2023, Bundesliga club Mainz dismissed Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi over social media posts related to the conflict, but a court later ruled that his comments did not justify the immediate termination of his contract. The PFA reports that 325 people in the Palestinian football community have died in the conflict since October 2023.