Manuel Pellegrini defends Abde Ezzalzouli as social media abuse follows Ceuta message | OneFootball

Manuel Pellegrini has defended his player after Abdessamad Ezzalzouli was targeted with hateful messages and insults on social media.

According to L'Équipe, the abuse followed Ezzalzouli wearing a t-shirt supporting residents of Ceuta during Monday’s Liga match against Villarreal, which ended 1-2.

Pellegrini’s stance was that politics can divide while football should unite, framing his support for the winger in sporting terms.

The incident arose in the immediate aftermath of the game and quickly spread across social platforms, prompting the coach’s public backing.

No further details were provided beyond the online abuse and the context of Ezzalzouli’s message during the Villarreal fixture.

Source: L'Équipe

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