Last weekend, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion found itself in hot water after its youth academy posted a social media image of first-team star Kaoru Mitoma alongside a mock football card of Hiroo Onoda—the Japanese WWII soldier famously known as the last to surrender. 😬
What was meant as a playful history nod quickly backfired, especially among fans in the Chinese mainland. Jack Forsdike, who runs social media for the Official Brighton & Hove Albion FC Supporter Club in the Chinese mainland, told CGTN, “I almost couldn’t believe it was real at first. Many thought it was Photoshopped or AI-generated.”
Forsdike wasted no time emailing the club to highlight how serious and offensive the post was, pointing out the painful memory of millions of Chinese soldiers and civilians killed during Japan’s wartime invasion. Other Asian fans from countries like the Republic of Korea and throughout Southeast Asia also chimed in, noting that no formal apology has ever come from the Japanese government for those wartime atrocities.
Brighton quickly deleted the post and apologized last Saturday, saying they “hugely value our fans in China and had no intention of causing any offence.” But the incident laid bare a larger issue—the gap in understanding Asia’s complex history among European clubs. 🌏
For global teams and brands, this is a reminder: knowing your audience and their history isn’t optional. A single post can spark a massive conversation about respect, memory, and the power of social media to both connect and divide. ⚽️💬
Reference(s):
Brighton FC Japan WWII soldier controversy slammed by China fan leader
cgtn.com
