The killing of the ‘Palestinian Pele'. Plus: Dutch football's criminal underworld

New York Times

11 hours ago

Hello. Today, we're writing about the tragic death in Gaza of one of Palestine's most revered players, and trying to answer questions posed by Mohamed Salah: how did it happen, and why?
Plus: Dutch football's troubling links to organised crime, and penalty controversy at Elland Road.
Suleiman Obeid was one of Palestine's more famous footballers, perhaps even their most famous. Some called him the 'Palestinian Pele'. Others nicknamed him 'Henry' because of the likenesses between his game and that of World Cup winner Thierry Henry.
Two weeks ago, Obeid died aged 43. The news should have reverberated around the football world automatically, but it resonated many times as strongly because of an exchange between Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and UEFA, the European game's governing body, on social media.
Can you tell us how he died, where, and why? https://t.co/W7HCyVVtBE
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) August 9, 2025
UEFA paid tribute to Obeid (top), calling him 'a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times'. Salah, an Egypt international, replied, asking: 'Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?' In UEFA's post, these details were missing.
The 'where' was known: his family and friends say Obeid lost his life in Gaza and the city of Khan Yunis on August 6. But how and why he was killed were far bigger questions, questions that The Athletic's Jacob Whitehead set out to find answers to.
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Jacob made contact with Obeid's devastated wife, Doaa, and several of his friends. They told Jacob that Obeid suffered fatal injuries when an explosive dropped by an Israeli quadcopter — a type of drone — struck him as he waited to receive aid for his five children and other relatives. In short, they say he became a victim of the conflict, which has been inflamed since Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Lior Asulin, a retired Israeli forward, was one of 1,195 people who died at the hands of Hamas militants, numbers provided by Israeli sources who spoke to the New York Times. The Palestinian Football Association estimates that 339 members of its community — players, coaches, match officials — have been killed during Israel's military response. Obeid is an emblem of a dreadful war, and Salah's post highlighted how football has been quiet in addressing it.
Many figures in world football were direct and responsive in showing their support for Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion, but it has had far less to say publicly about the crisis in the Middle East. As Jacob points out, those who do speak out are prone to allegations of bias towards either Israel or the Palestinian cause.
When, for example, UEFA displayed a banner at last week's European Super Cup final reading, 'Stop killing children, stop killing civilians', it was criticised — both by Amnesty International for failing to explicitly name Israel as a perpetrator of much of the violence, but also by the Campaign Against Antisemitism for offering no comment on the deaths of Jewish citizens. The Premier League has not broached the subject at all, nor does it have any plans to.
Jacob's feature is outstanding, and it pulls on so many more strands than Obeid's death alone. It highlights the scale of destruction in Gaza, where Obeid and his family were living in a tent after seeing their home destroyed. It shines a light on the controversy surrounding the safety of the region's aid distribution centres. It gets to the roots of why Obeid, who hadn't officially retired, was such a star in Palestine. In the words of an old team-mate, his goals, such as the one below against Yemen from 2010, were 'so distinctive and so beautiful'.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) did not respond to a request from Jacob for comment. It said previously that it had no record of any casualties caused by IDF fire at aid distribution sites in Gaza on August 6. Obeid's family are left with answers to some of Salah's questions about his death — but no clarity about the 'why'.
Leicester City, October 5. Southampton, November 2. Ipswich Town, November 10.
That's how long it took last season's three promoted clubs to get a Premier League win on the board, so we're experiencing a sea change. Sunderland have one under their belt already and likewise Leeds United, after a late 1-0 victory over Everton last night.
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A penalty came Leeds' way when they needed it, with six minutes to go. Should it have been given? Take a look at the footage above and you'll spot some conflicting factors: a deflection striking James Tarkowski's arm, that arm by his side with his hand behind his back, but a deliberate lean into the ball as it shaped to fly by him.
I've thought about it long and hard and I'm still in two minds (which isn't to say Leeds didn't deserve the win, because they did). The only conclusion I can draw: the laws have been changed so many times that defining what constitutes handball is borderline impossible.
The conviction of ex-Premier League defender Ronnie Stam for drug smuggling last week — expertly covered by Danny Taylor — wasn't the first time a Dutch footballer has run into trouble with the criminal underworld. In many ways, it's the tip of a concerning iceberg.
Similar cases have been piling up and officials in the Netherlands are starting to look more closely at the trend of high-profile players crossing lines they ought not to cross. Is something bigger at work here?
Danny broached the subject with Evgeniy Levchenko, who chairs the union for Dutch professional footballers (VVCS). Levchenko told him: 'The difficulty we have is that some players are so close to the criminals. They think they are friends. And that is the biggest mistake they can make.'
There's a firm suspicion that organised gangs are deliberately targeting wealthy, impressionable athletes — and in reality, that would figure. In the list of things money attracts, criminality is one.
(Kick-offs, ET/UK time)
La Liga: Real Madrid vs Osasuna, 3pm/8pm — ESPN+, Fubo/Premier Sports.
UEFA Champions League qualifying play-off: Rangers vs Club Brugge, 3pm/8pm — Paramount+/Amazon Prime.
Pre-season is a slog. Every footballer will tell you that. But if you're Deportivo in Spain's second division and your first goal of the new league term looks as aesthetically pleasing as theirs (above), you'd class the preparation as worthwhile graft.
I think that's what they call whetting the appetite.
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