Israeli soccer star Patryk Klimala has denied giving the Nazi salute after scoring a goal for his club Hapoel Be’er Sheva on Saturday.
Playing against Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Premier League, Klimala scored one in the 54th minute to put his club up 2-0.
But, during his goal celebration, Klimala looked out over the crowd, placed his right arm across his chest, then raised it towards the fans.
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Patryk Klimala of the New York Red Bulls applauds the fans after winning the Decision Day Major League Soccer game against Charlotte FC at Red Bull Arena on October 9, 2022 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Ira L. Black – Corbis/Getty Images)
At first glance, it looked like the Nazi salute, which is frowned upon for obvious reasons.
Klimala took to social media to clear that up.
«My gesture during the goal celebration was totally misinterpreted by some viewers. As a Pole, who respects the history of both countries, I would not even think of doing the Nazi salute,» he wrote in English, as well as Hebrew and Polish. «While living in Poland, I visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and realized the importance of Jewish history and heritage.
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«After my goal, I just wanted to say hello to our fans. Surely there was nothing further. I’m sorry if anyone took it the wrong way.»
New York Red Bulls’ Patryk Klimala after winning against Charlotte FC at Red Bull Arena on October 9, 2022 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Ira L. Black – Corbis/Getty Images)
«Lastly, this is a great opportunity to say thank you again to our great fans for all the support and I’m happy to get another big win. Have a great week.»
The 24-year-old used to play for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He spent the last two seasons with the club, scoring 13 goals and nine assists in 59 total games.
He has since moved to Hapoel Be’er Sheva, where he has three goals in 10 games.
Patryk Klimala of the New York Red Bulls warms up before a US Open Cup match against New York City FC at Red Bull Arena on June 22, 2022 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Howard Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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Klimala has also played for the Poland Under-21 team, where he has scored four goals in nine games between 2019 and 2021.