Yahoo Sports Former soccer manager mistaken for Israeli representative in viral video | Fact check
The claim: Video shows Manchester City soccer manager ignoring Israeli representative
A May 27 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a man shaking hands with people in the front row of a stadium. He appears to ignore one man as an Israeli flag icon flashes on the screen.
"Man City Manager Ignores Israeli Representative," reads text within the video.
The post garnered nearly 3,000 likes in two days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter.
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Our rating: False
The man in the video is the former manager of the Crystal Palace soccer team, not an Israeli representative. The video was filmed in August 2023.
Video shows former soccer manager, not Israeli representative
The video was originally shared on social media in August 2023, two months before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. At the time, social media users referred to the man being ignored as Alan Smith.
The U.K. outlet Daily Star reported the footage showed Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola shaking hands with senior club officials and heads of the Football Association at Wembley Stadium. His team had reportedly just lost a match to their rival Arsenal during an annual soccer match called the Community Shield.
After shaking hands with several officials, Guardiola appears to ignore Smith, the former Crystal Palace manager, for an unknown reason before collecting a runners-up medal, according to Sport Bible.
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The appearance of the man in the video matches recent pictures of Smith on Alamy.com and from Getty Images. Smith has never acted as a representative of Israel.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
AFP Fact Check and Reuters also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
Ancient Bank (YouTube video), Aug 22, 2023, Guardiola Ignored Handshake With Alan Smith Because He Used To Always Complain About Him
Scott Porter, Aug. 6, 2023, X post
Sports Bible, Aug. 7, 2023, Fans spot Pep Guardiola snub former manager during Community Shield medal ceremony
Daily Star, Aug. 7, 2023, Pep Guardiola gets death stare after snubbing Community Shield medals handshake
Alamy, Dec. 30, 2023, Alan Smith Former Crystal Palace manager watches on from the stands
Getty Images, July 11, 2018, Russia 2018 World Cup: Alan Smith interview on Gareth Southgate's development
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows soccer manager, not Israeli representative | Fact check
