We have seen a number of social media posts claiming that Brighton & Hove Albion football club manager Roberto De Zerbi posted an Instagram story expressing “support for the Palestinian cause ”.
The club confirmed that the account that posted the story was unrelated to Mr De Zerbi and appears to have since been removed or deleted.
A screenshot circulating on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) shows an Instagram story posted by an account apparently with the username @robtzerbi, which reads:
“I support the Palestinian cause and I hope that it will return to what it was and I hope that Sudan will return to what it was and peace will reign in the land of Sudan and I hope that peace will last.
” across the world.
” Arab and Muslim countries.
This misleading message was shared in the context of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In a statement released via their Instagram account, Brighton & Hove Albion said:
“Roberto and the club are aware of the verified fake Instagram account @robtzerbi.
“This account is not managed by Roberto or his representatives and has absolutely no connection to him.
“We have asked Meta to delete the account as soon as possible.
We reached out to Meta to ask if this account is verified and why.
We regularly check for fake viral posts on social media, including those impersonating politicians and other public figures or organizations.
Messages like these can spread quickly and far, and are difficult to stop and correct.