Italian Politician Sparks Debate with Social Media Post Attacking Israeli Footballer Manor Solomon
Italian Serie A club Fiorentina recently signed Israeli winger Manor Solomon on loan with an option to buy from English club Tottenham Hotspur, sparking a political row in Florence. The controversy surrounds a Facebook post by Sesto Fiorentino councillor, Tommaso Madau, who attacked Solomon, stating “You are not welcome in Florence”. Madau, who is provincial secretary of the Sinistra italiana (Italian Left) and serves as culture councillor in Sesto Fiorentino, a town just outside the Tuscan capital, criticized Solomon for his alleged support of Netanyahu’s genocidal policies.
Madau’s post attracted heavy criticism, including from fellow Sesto Fiorentino councillor Alessandro Draghi, a member of the right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party of Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni. Draghi argued that being an Israeli citizen is not a crime and that a 26-year-old footballer cannot be held responsible for the genocide in Gaza. He emphasized that sport unites people, while war divides them.
Reactions from Italian Politicians and Entrepreneurs
Francesco Casini, regional councillor for the centrist IV-Casa Riformista, also slammed Madau’s post as “incompatible with the institutional role he holds”. Casini stated that Solomon is being blamed for being Israeli, which is extremely dangerous territory and has nothing to do with peace, dialogue, or legitimate criticism of a government’s policies. Marco Carrai, entrepreneur and honorary consul of Israel for Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy, spoke out against Madau’s “disgusting” words, comparing them to the thoughts of those who pushed Jews into crematoria.
Madau doubled down on his views in a comment published under his original post, writing: “Sport must be a vehicle for ethics and certain values; those who represent the team I’ve supported since I was born cannot support genocide.” The arrival of Solomon in Florence comes as Fiorentina sits at the bottom of the league table and risks being relegated to Serie B unless the club’s fortunes change. The controversy surrounding Madau’s post highlights the complex relationship between sports, politics, and identity.