Northern Ireland

Leicester City footballers waved Palestinian flag during FA Cup final victory celebrations

Leicester footballers, Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana, wave a Palestine flag during their FA victory celebrations
Leicester footballers, Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana, wave a Palestine flag during their FA victory celebrations Leicester footballers, Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana, wave a Palestine flag during their FA victory celebrations

Two Leicester City footballers waved the Palestinian flag during their FA Cup final victory celebrations at the weekend.

Leicester City, which is managed by Carnlough man, Brendan Rodgers, beat Chelsea 1-0 in a stunning upset to win the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The Foxes hadn’t reached an FA Cup final since 1969, and had never won the competition.

As their thousands of fans celebrated, Leicester City players Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana were pictured waving a Palestinian flag on the pitch.

The final was played amid rising tensions and horrific violence in Gaza, and as thousands protested on the streets of Dublin and other major cities worldwide in support of Palestine.

It has been estimated that at least 126 people have been killed in Gaza including 31 children and 20 women while at least eight have died in Israel including a six-year-old boy and a soldier.

It is said to be the worst violence between Palestine and Israel since 2014.

English midfielder Choudhury (23) draped the flag over his shoulders as he went to pick up his winner's medal, before team mates Kasper Schmeichel and Wesley Fofana lifted the trophy.

While it is not uncommon for players to wave flags of their home countries following a title victory, neither Choudhury nor Fofana, are Palestinian.