Amad Diallo says he ‘does not regret' obscene gesture to fans in Malaysia
Amad Diallo accepts he 'should not have reacted' to fans outside the team hotel but he 'does not regret' the gesture.
Amad Diallo accepts he 'should not have reacted' to fans outside the team hotel but he 'does not regret' the gesture. Photograph: Conor Molloy/ProSports/Shutterstock
The Manchester United winger Amad Diallo has said he 'does not regret' making an obscene gesture to fans in Kuala Lumpur, claiming they had insulted his mother.
After United's 1-0 friendly defeat by Asean All-Stars on Wednesday, footage emerged on social media of Amad putting his middle finger up to fans outside the team hotel.
Advertisement
Related: 'It sends a signal': Jim Ratcliffe rebuked for Manchester United Women remarks
'I have respect for people but not for the one who insults my mom,' the 22-year-old wrote on social media. 'I shouldn't have reacted like that but I don't regret what I did. We had a great time in Malaysia with good people.'
The club told the BBC that the gesture was in response to 'serious personal abuse' the Ivorian had suffered. It was another unwanted distraction for the Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim, who is preparing his team to face Hong Kong's representative side .
Speaking to media in Hong Kong before the friendly, Amorim admitted he was ready to 'turn the page' after a dismal season which saw United finish 15th in the table and lose the Europa League final to Tottenham.
Advertisement
'We've had the season that we had and it's not easy to face the fans around the world, so it's a moment that is hard for us and we want to finish the season,' Amorim said. 'But at the same time we want to give something to the fans. We are travelling, we don't have time to adapt, we don't have so much time to have contact with the fans.
'If there is one thing that is really important in this club, it's that we need to face our fans in this moment and give something to our fans around the world. We want to give something to the fans, but it's hard in this moment. We just want to turn the page and improve next season.'
Amorim claimed his team of first-teamers and youngsters was 'not really focused' in Wednesday's defeat in Malaysia, and that he could understand fans venting their anger. 'I understand the fans [booing],' he said.
With heavy rain lashing the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium on the eve of the game, Amorim is again expected to heavily rotate his squad. 'If we are professional and we focus on the game it is the best way to protect our players from injuries,' the 40-year-old said.
Advertisement
Three senior players – Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot and André Onana – have flown to a supporter engagement event in India so are unavailable, while the left-back Luke Shaw is injured.
'I will try to divide [the squad] because I don't want all the young kids all together,' Amorim said. 'We want to be competitive. If they are fit, they will play, and we will have the maximum respect for everybody here and for our fans.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
16 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
After loss to New Zealand, Ivory Coast has a point to prove against Canada
TORONTO - Still smarting from its 1-0 loss to No. 86 New Zealand on Saturday at the Canadian Shield Tournament, Ivory Coast has a point to prove Tuesday against Canada. 'We expect to win,' said Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae. 'A big team can lose one game but a big team doesn't lose two games in a row. We have to show people that we are able to beat countries of another region than Africa. 'It will be a game for us to show that we are able to win.' Canada, ranked 30th in the world, is coming off a 4-2 victory over No. 25 Ukraine in its tournament opener at BMO Field. Canada coach Jesse Marsch has said he will likely field an entirely different lineup against the 41st-ranked Africans, with veteran forward Cyle Larin leading the team out. 'We've been really clear internally that against Ukraine there were some good thing and some things to work on,' Marsch said before Canada's training session Monday. 'But that's behind us. And now the focus is entirely on this match.' Marsch said Ivory Coast comes with a lot of talent and could well be the top team in Africa. While Ivory Coast is currently ranked fifth in Africa by FIFA — behind No. 12 Morocco, No. 19 Senegal, No 32 Egypt and No. 36 Algeria — the Elephants are the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions and have been ranked as high as No.12 in the world. Against New Zealand, Ivory Coast paid for a turnover later in the first half that led to the game's lone goal. The African side attacked throughout the second half but could not breach the All Whites defence. 'I was a little but disappointed, a little bit frustrated, because we had opportunities to score, to score first. But we didn't,' said Fae. 'We had some opportunities to come back in the game in the second half … If we played the same game 10 times, I think we're going to win nine and probably lose one,' he added. Fae's team was cheered on by a vocal pocket of orange-clad Ivory Coast fans in the stands. 'A defeat on the pitch, certainly, but a resounding victory in the stands, ' wrote the Ivorian newspaper Fraternite Matin. Canada has never faced Ivory Coast before. The last time it faced an African side was at the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 when it lost 2-1 to Morocco in its final group-stage game. With regular captain Alphonso Davies out injured, vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio led the team out Saturday against Ukraine. Forward Jonathan David, who scored twice Saturday, will captain the side at the CONCACAF Gold Cup later this month while Eustaquio is with his club Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup. But with both having played Saturday, Larin wears the armband for the first time. 'It's an honour to (serve as) captain and with the captains we have now, it's an honour to share it with them,' said Larin, who plays his club football in Spain for Mallorca. 'Because we have a great team.' The 30-year-old from Brampton, Ont., has 30 goals in 81 appearances for Canada. Only Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, with 84 caps, has more Canadian experience on the current roster. Marsch paid tribute to Larin's savvy and insight into the Canadian team as well as his willingness to help younger players. 'Cyle is sometimes thought of as a quiet person and quiet leader, but he's like a rock in the team,' Marsch said. 'And a guy that is intelligent on the pitch, has quality, can score, does a lot of things that a lot of people don't see and is an example to all of the attacking players we have — for the work rate, the intelligence and the commitment to what we have.' Fae lost one of his star players before the Toronto tournament when Manchester United forward Amad Diallo withdrew. His squad draws on players from clubs in Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. Midfielder Franck Kessié, formerly of AC Milan and Barcelona, plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro league while defender Odilon Kossounou is currently with Atalanta, on loan from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen, and forward Nicolas Pépé, formerly with England's Arsenal, plays for Spain's Villarreal. Ivory Coast currently leads Group F in African World Cup qualifying with a 5-0-1 record, one points ahead of Gabon in the six-country group that also includes Burundi, Kenya, Gambia and the Seychelles. Qualifying play resumes in September with the eventual group winner securing a berth in the World Cup. The four best runners-up from the nine African groups will participate in playoffs to determine a 10th qualifying team from the region. Ivory Coast appeared at the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014, failing to advance to the knockout round after finishing third in its group each time. It missed out on the 2018 tournament in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Brazil could reach World Cup with a win on Ancelotti's home debut; Ecuador also close
SAO PAULO (AP) — Two more South American teams could qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. Second-placed Ecuador will do it by winning in Peru. Fourth-placed Brazil or third-placed Paraguay could secure a berth with a win in Sao Paulo as long as Venezuela loses at Uruguay. The most anticipated match of the round is in Sao Paulo, where Carlo Ancelotti will make his home debut as Brazil coach. The host, which drew Ecuador 0-0 last Thursday, is two points behind Paraguay. Only World Cup champion Argentina has qualified from South America. Lionel Messi's team takes on Colombia in Buenos Aires in a match in which coach Lionel Scaloni will continue deepening his squad. The two final rounds of South American qualifying are in September. The top six teams earn direct spots for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Whoever finishes seventh goes to an international playoff. Also on Tuesday, eighth-placed Bolivia will host 10th-placed Chile. Ancelotti's home debut Ancelotti's changes to shore up the defense at Ecuador worked. Defender Alex impressed on debut and veteran midfielder Casemiro improved the defense. More changes are expected on Tuesday. Striker Richarlison lost his place in the starting lineup to Matheus Cunha during training, and teenager Estêvão is expected to make way on the left wing for Raphinha, who was suspended last week. Casemiro enjoyed success with Ancelotti at Real Madrid , and said on Sunday he returned to the national team after more than a year's absence due to his performances at Manchester United. 'I am glad to be back and back playing well, I want to stress that,' Casemiro said. 'I am not here because I know the coach, but because I deserve it. This was undoubtedly one of the most important years of my career.' Paraguay will not be an easy challenge for Brazil. Since coach Gustavo Alfaro took over, the Paraguayans have been unbeaten for nine matches. The Argentine coach has already equaled the all-time record for qualifying points set by coach Paulo César Carpegiani in the campaign for the 1998 World Cup in France. Eyes on Venezuela As the only South American team that has never made it to the World Cup, Venezuela will be under extra pressure at Centenario Stadium against coach Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay. Uruguay is fifth and could be overtaken by Venezuela. A win for Venezuela and coach Fernando Batista will almost lock up seventh place and boost its chances of fighting for a direct spot. A defeat could give Bolivia a chance to bid for the international playoff position in the two final rounds. 'We have three finals in which we can't overlook, we can't fail. We are ready for that,' Batista said after the 2-0 win against Bolivia. 'We are focused on getting the most possible points.' Uruguay has been enduring a shaky patch with no wins in its last four qualifiers. A home victory against Venezuela is key for the team to regain momentum and confidence. Bielsa, who has been clashing with Uruguay players since the Copa America last year, said he was to blame for the poor performance in the 2-0 loss at Paraguay. 'I truly feel responsible for the situation of the team because the problem is the lack of creation of scoring opportunities, and my position before this problem is to propose solutions,' a soft-toned Bielsa said. 'When I propose and I have players who are special in their clubs, but can't do it in the squad I have ... I have no option (but) to recognize my lack of efficiency.' Uruguay remained without key midfielder Federico Valverde, who was injured, and striker Darwin Núñez, suspended. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tottenham contact Brentford as they look to appoint Thomas Frank as new manager
Tottenham contact Brentford as they look to appoint Thomas Frank as new manager Tottenham Hotspur are close to appointing Brentford's Thomas Frank as their new head coach. According to The Athletic, the Lilywhites have made contact with Brentford for the 51-year-old, and hope to reach an agreement in the next 48 hours. Advertisement Frank is reportedly ready to succeed Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed from his position on Friday after remaining two seasons in charge. The two clubs are said to have a healthy relationship and talks will centre on the cost of releasing the Danish boss as well as the backroom staff, which is expected to be around £10 million. Tottenham endured a disappointing 2024-25 Premier League campaign under Postecoglou, losing 22 of their 38 matches to finish 17th in the table. But the Australian boss secured them Champions League football for next season by leading them to Europa League success, beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao. Advertisement That suggested that Postecoglou would continue as Spurs' manager, but the club chairman Daniel Levy made the brutal decision to sack him, which reportedly angered many of their players. Now Tottenham appear to be on the verge of signing Frank, who has done an excellent job at Brentford since becoming their head coach in 2018. He led the Bees to Premier League promotion in 2021 after beating Swansea City in the Championship play-off final. The West Londoners have since become an established side in the English top-flight under Frank, securing 13th, ninth, 16th and 10th-placed finishes. He has certainly overperformed at Brentford but doesn't have the experience of managing a top club like Tottenham, who will be playing in Champions League next season. Stats from Transfermarkt
