Manchester United forward Amad Diallo has spoken out after a video of him raising his middle finger toward fans in Kuala Lumpur went viral on social media. The incident took place outside United’s hotel during the club’s post-season tour in Malaysia, ahead of their friendly match against the ASEAN All-Stars, which they went on to lose 1-0.
The 22-year-old was widely criticized online after footage emerged of him reacting angrily to fans gathered outside the team’s hotel. However, both Amad and the club have since defended his actions, citing provocation.
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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Amad explained:
“I have respect for people but not for the one who insults my mom. I shouldn’t have reacted like that, but I don’t regret what I did. We had a great time in Malaysia with good people.”
According to United sources, Amad was subjected to “serious personal abuse” directed at his mother as players were boarding the team coach. While some fans were reportedly just shouting his name, “Diallo” — which some interpreted as disrespectful — the club claims the abuse went beyond that, though it was not racial in nature.
Amad has previously requested to be addressed simply as “Amad”, distancing himself from his surname after a 2021 investigation by the Italian FA, which resulted in a £42,000 fine over allegations of false documents and identity issues during his time at Atalanta.
United signed Amad from Atalanta for an initial £19 million, with the deal potentially rising to £37 million. After a standout loan spell at Sunderland, he has emerged as a regular member of the first-team squad.
Despite the controversy, Amad remains part of the squad for United’s next tour match in Hong Kong, as the club continues its lucrative off-season campaign — expected to bring in around £7.8 million. Meanwhile, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, and Andre Onana have traveled to India for a separate fan engagement event.
Ahead of the Hong Kong match, manager Ruben Amorim addressed both squad rotation and the Amad incident. United also allowed Amad to attend the pre-match press conference, where he addressed rumors around teammate Alejandro Garnacho, who has been linked with a summer exit.
“Alejandro is a really good player and we need good players in the team,” Amad said. “I know Garna really well, so I hope to have him next season. Everything is good now.”
Amorim confirmed that more changes would be made to the squad for the Hong Kong fixture:
“I will try to divide because I don’t want all the young kids together. We want to be competitive and show respect to the fans.”
