Why did Brighton apologize for a social media post?

Brighton apologized because their academy's social media post included an image of a controversial World War Two Japanese soldier, Hiroo Onoda, causing offense.

Hiroo Onoda was a Japanese Imperial Army officer who famously refused to surrender after World War Two ended, remaining in hiding until 1974.

Which team player was involved in the Brighton social media controversy?

Brighton's Japanese player Kaoru Mitoma was featured in the social media post alongside an academy player holding a card with Hiroo Onoda's image.

Home / Sports / Brighton Apologizes for WWII Soldier Image Controversy

Brighton Apologizes for WWII Soldier Image Controversy

1 Dec

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Summary

Brighton's academy used an image of WWII soldier Hiroo Onoda on social media.
The post featuring the controversial figure caused significant anger in China.
The club issued a sincere apology for the unintended offense caused.

Brighton Apologizes for WWII Soldier Image Controversy

Brighton Football Club has issued a sincere apology following a social media post by their academy that inadvertently featured an image of Hiroo Onoda, a controversial Japanese Imperial Army officer from World War Two. The post, which included Japanese star Kaoru Mitoma and an academy player with a football card of Onoda, ignited significant backlash, particularly on Chinese social media platforms.

The club's academy acknowledged the offense caused in China, emphasizing their high regard for their fanbase there and clarifying that no harm was intended. The incident stemmed from a post about the Academy's participation in the Premier League Christmas Truce Tournament, an event commemorating World War One ceasefires. The use of Onoda's image, who was known for his prolonged refusal to surrender and involvement in wartime atrocities, was described as a genuine oversight.

Brighton officials reportedly admitted they were unaware of the controversy surrounding Onoda, leading to a major lapse in judgment. The Premier League describes the Christmas Truce Cup as a developmental tournament aimed at fostering football talent and historical understanding among young players. The club has since deleted the offending post and is addressing the situation with their fanbase.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.

Brighton Apologizes for WWII Soldier Image Controversy

1 Dec

•

Summary

Brighton's academy used an image of WWII soldier Hiroo Onoda on social media.
The post featuring the controversial figure caused significant anger in China.
The club issued a sincere apology for the unintended offense caused.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.