LEEDS UNITED have thrown their support behind captain Ethan Ampadu after his son was pictured in a Galatasaray shirt.
Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight – both Leeds fans – were tragically killed ahead of a Uefa Cup semi-final clash against the Turkish side in April 2000.
Ampadu’s former partner shared a snap of their son wearing a Galatasaray kit on Thursday.
It came after the Super Lig leaders beat Trabzonspor 3-0 to secure the Turkish Cup.
The post immediately received a backlash from Leeds supporters.
And the club were quick to release a statement defending Ampadu.
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The statement read: “Leeds United are aware of an image circulating online of Ethan Ampadu’s son.
“Ethan separated from his partner several months ago and has no responsibility for the image in question.
“Ethan is aware of and sensitive to the tragic loss within the Loftus and Speight families.
“The club asks for Ethan’s privacy to be respected in what is a difficult time for him personally.”
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Ampadu, 24, joined the Whites in the summer of 2023 from Chelsea.
He has become a firm fan favourite in West Yorkshire, helping the club amass 100 points this season on their way to the Championship title.
The statement continued: “Our captain has been a leader on and off the pitch this season, demonstrating his commitment to the club, its history, and the broader Leeds community.
“Ethan has the full support of everybody at Leeds United. The club will be making no further comment.”
Ampadu has previously attended events commemorating the tragic deaths of Loftus and Speight.
He laid flowers for the pair at Luton’s Kenilworth Road earlier this season as the club marked 25 years since their passing.
On Thursday, Ampadu’s ex-partner Saara Sa posted on Instagram claiming Leeds were pushing a “false narrative”.
The post read: “My condolences are with the families of the two people who passed away in Istanbul.
“I am Turkish and our son is part Turkish.
“Galatasaray is my families[sic] supporting home team and has been for years.
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“We are the parents of our child and Ethan was aware of the photo.
“I would appreciate if Leeds United football club would not portray a false narrative by making a statement stating lies.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
