A recent report by War on Want issued a resounding “Red Card” to Liverpool F.C. as the club most deeply entangled in complicity with Israel’s genocide and illegal occupation against Palestine. Here’s why.
The 51-page investigation, titled RED CARD: English Premier League sportswashing of Israel’s atrocities against the Palestinians, ranks Liverpool at the very top of its “Premier League Table of Complicity”, with six complicit sponsors in total.
According to the report, Liverpool’s corporate partners directly linked to Israel’s documented war crimes include:
- Standard Chartered, a major UK bank that provided £11.4 billion (approximately $15.4 billion) to companies complicit in Israel’s actions, including arms manufacturers.
- AXA, the French insurer with billions invested in firms supplying weaponry used in attacks on Gaza.
- Google/Alphabet Inc. (Google Pixel), through the $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract, supplying cloud infrastructure and AI tools (including programmes such as Lavender and Gospel) allegedly used by the Israeli military for targeting in Gaza.
- Expedia Group (Hotels.com), promoting and profiting from rentals in illegal Israeli settlements built on stolen Palestinian land.
- Carlsberg, whose Israeli operations are tied to the Central Bottling Company, which runs facilities in the occupied Atarot Industrial Zone and produces wine from vineyards in illegal settlements.
Every EPL club is also indirectly sponsored by Barclays, the league’s main banking partner, which the report claims has a long history of “enabling apartheid”.
The report, authored by Neil Sammonds, with data analysis by Constance Baillie, draws on authoritative UN databases, Who Profits, the American Friends Service Committee, and other respected sources.
It concludes that at least 15 companies sponsoring EPL clubs are profiting from or facilitating Israel’s atrocities, with another eight at risk of complicity.
Why this matters?
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The report argues that football is more than a game for millions of people around the world: it is a source of joy, unity, and pride.
Many Muslims also celebrate the game, especially when stars such as Mohamed Salah wear the Liverpool shirt and inspire youngsters. Yet the report argues that beloved clubs are being used to sportswash Israel’s brutal campaign, normalising genocide while Palestinian children are killed, homes demolished, and families displaced.
The report documents over 72,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza (with estimates said to be far higher), tens of thousands of children orphaned or maimed, and 92% of homes destroyed or damaged.
“By promoting these companies to fans and followers of the EPL, and by associating them with their clubs’ beloved names, the clubs are sportswashing the companies and normalising the atrocities,” the report states.
Players who refuse to stay silent
In one section, the report highlights those standing up for justice. It praises Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah for questioning UEFA’s vague statement following the killing of Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid, asking: “Can you tell us how he died, where and why?”
That said, Salah has been largely silent on Israel’s genocide in Gaza over the past few years.
Defender Ibrahima Konaté is also noted for amplifying calls for attention to Rafah, although he also played in a match against Israel. These small but significant acts of solidarity stand in contrast to the broader silence from clubs and the league.
War on Want and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians sent letters to clubs, the FA, and the EPL in March 2026, demanding an end to these partnerships.
The report urges fans, especially those who love the game and stand with the oppressed, to pressure clubs to drop sponsors alleged to be complicit in genocide and apartheid.
The report also makes this clear what people can do in response, urging readers and football fans to contact Liverpool FC and other clubs to demand an end to ties with complicit sponsors, and to boycott named companies (Google Pixel, Carlsberg, Expedia, etc.) where possible.
It also encourages supporters to amplify the report and support campaigns for ethical football.
