The three-month football transfer window in Britain is known to bring a mix of anticipation, frustration, and unrealized hopes among fans. However, the prolonged saga revolving around the
potential transfer of England captain Harry Kane to German champions Bayern Munich has led to an unfortunate surge of antisemitic remarks online.
As part of his move, the England striker is expected to undergo a medical examination in Munich, finalizing a €100 million deal that would conclude his 19-year tenure with Tottenham.
With the deal teetering on the edge of completion, supporters and rival fans have directed abuse towards the club's chairman, Daniel Levy, for his tough negotiation tactics.
Levy, who is a lifelong Tottenham supporter, was born to Jewish parents in Essex. He joined the club's board in 2000 after ENIC, a company he co-owns with Jewish businessman Joe Lewis, acquired a 27 percent stake.
On the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, an anonymous account recently posted: "Levy is such a Jew."
Another account stated: "Daniel Levy is the worst owner ever, just move on & accept the current conditions you fat bald jew.”
Other derogatory comments included: "Daniel Levy what a Jew," "This is the Jew in Levy coming out," and "Levy my friend this is prime Jew."
A user named Geraldine shared her experience of encountering casual antisemitism towards Levy in person: "One of my customers who isn't a raging antisemite called Daniel Levy a Jew boy & that's why he was tight when we were discussing Tottenham. I work at a pub with a lot of Tottenham fans. The guy apologized after I mentioned I had Jewish family members."
Furthermore, a Bayern Munich supporter account posted: “Kane wants to join us. We would never send the bid to that Jew had Kane not cleared to Bayern bosses that he wants to join. Even [football journalists] Plettenberg and Fabrizio have confirmed that personal terms are clear. It's just Levy being a p***k now."
This isn't the first time Levy has faced abuse over his reluctance to release Kane for less than his perceived full value. Two years ago, a TalkSPORT caller made a derogatory remark about Levy's Jewish heritage on air.
Tottenham Hotspur has not yet issued a statement regarding the situation. Photo by Bluejam, Wikimedia commons.