PSV has spoken internally about the messages that players put on social media about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israeli striker Eran Zahavi shared reports of the 300 missiles launched from Gaza to Tel Aviv, while teammates like Jordan Teze, Pablo Rosario and Mohamed Ihattaren stood up for the Palestinians, sharing a message saying, “You don’t have to be a Muslim. to stand up for Gaza, you only have to be a human being. ” Toon Gerbrands says that there was a lot of ‘mutual understanding’ between the players.
Earlier on Wednesday it became clear that the PSV management wanted to talk to the selection about the subject. “Coincidentally, a meeting was already planned with the players’ council towards the end of this season,” explains General Manager Gerbrands. “This point was now number one on the agenda. Eran was there, and coincidentally a number of guys who posted messages. So there was no need for a separate conversation, although that certainly would have happened in this case. do hang something together and you have to be able to continue with each other unencumbered. “
Conflict between Israel and Hamas leads to divisions in the selection of PSV
The PSV players look at the conflict in the Middle East in a different way.
It turned out that the players had already contacted each other on Tuesday, says Gerbrands. Everyone’s points of view were discussed in the conversation. “Eran is a very realistic boy. From ‘Listen, we don’t have to agree, it’s nothing personal’. That’s how they were all in it. There was a lot of mutual understanding and respect and that maturity is good for me. It is the first time that I have experienced something like this, but it was over faster than I thought. ” Gerbrands emphasizes that ‘everyone in this country’ has the freedom to express their opinion and that PSV will not impose any restrictions on the players in that area.
“Of course we do occasionally point out to players the impact as a famous person, but to a large extent that is their own responsibility. There is so much happening in the world, especially in the past year. Everyone has their own perspective within the world view. Positions are part of society with each other, but then you have to keep talking about them in the right way. Fortunately, that happened here, “Gerbrands concludes.
At the press conference for the game with PEC Zwolle on Thursday, trainer Roger Schmidt was asked about the situation on Wednesday. “I am a football coach and not a political expert. As a football coach I do not make political statements so do not talk about it here. If there were problems in our group, we talk about it,” said the coach, who also made another point about it. social media. He was asked about the burglary in Zahavi’s house and indicated, among other things, that more awareness should be raised in the field of social media.
“Sometimes you have doubts. The internet has had many positive effects and also negative effects. Maybe I am a bit old school and made the choice to go through life without social media. Today’s footballers are growing up very differently than we used to. also applies to my children. Everyone has to make their own decisions about this, although with an event like this week’s you also have to look carefully at what you want to do about your private life, ”says Schmidt. He seems to be referring to posts by Zahavi’s wife, on which, for example, an expensive watch was visible.