Middle Eastern conflict finds its way to Fortuna Düsseldorf, causing fan discontentment
Fortuna Düsseldorf's disappointing start to the 2025-26 2. Bundesliga season has been compounded by the fallout from the aborted transfer of Israeli national player Shon Weissman. The club, once a promotion favourite, finds itself at the bottom of the table with zero points after two games, following a 1:5 drubbing at the hands of Arminia Bielefeld.
Defender Moritz Heyer refused to use the Weissman saga as an excuse for the poor performance against Hannover, instead looking ahead and expressing the team's desire to show a reaction and get back into the flow. Coach Daniel Thioune, however, criticized the lack of intensity in Düsseldorf's performance, highlighting the need to work on it to secure the first points in the league after the cup break.
Weissman's social media posts, which supported a terrorist organization's call for the annihilation of a region, caused controversy and accusations of anti-Semitism. Despite a public defence from the club emphasizing the separation of politics and football, the controversy and consultations with the local Jewish community led club management to cancel the deal.
Fortuna Düsseldorf's decision not to sign Weissman was met with fan protests, with banners reading "Betrayed our own values - trust lost again." The club stated that Weissman's statements "did not align with our values." The failed transfer, however, has not been without its impact, as the club missed out on a potentially valuable forward reinforcement, which could affect their ability to improve results and challenge for promotion this season.
Sporting director Klaus Allofs found clear words regarding the team's performance, stating they could have offered more and shown an improvement from the last game. Allofs believes that many changes can sometimes lead to a bumpy start and does not see it as a big problem. The team will have an opportunity to turn things around in the first round of the DFB Cup against 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 on August 18.
Fortuna Düsseldorf's promotion ambitions are currently hanging in the balance, with little to show for their efforts so far this season. The club must quickly follow up with actions on the pitch to not further jeopardize the fans' trust, ideally in the first round of the DFB Cup against 1. FC Schweinfurt 05. The team's poor start is not just due to the lack of points; it's also due to the controversy surrounding the failed transfer of Weissman. As the season progresses, Fortuna Düsseldorf will look to put the transfer saga behind them and focus on rebuilding their form and restoring the fans' trust.
European leagues are filled with intense competition, and Fortuna Düsseldorf's struggles in the 2025-26 2. Bundesliga have been exacerbated by the canceled transfer of Israeli national player Shon Weissman, whose controversial social media posts led to a fallout. The team's disappointing start, which has seen them at the bottom of the table with zero points after two games, has sparked concerns about their ability to challenge for promotion this season.
