England footballers pictured partying with disgraced rapper Wiley - The Jewish Chronicle

England Footballer Marcus Rashford has conand Jesse Lingard have been pictured posing alongside disgraced rapper Wiley in Dubai.

A picture shared by Wiley shows Manchester United players Rashford and Lingard alongside him following a performance at a nightclub in Dubai. It is not confirmed when the picture was taken.

Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford with rapper Wiley in Dubai 📸 pic.twitter.com/16WImrguFP
— utdreport (@utdreport) January 24, 2022

Wiley, who has struggled to get bookings in the UK since he embarked on multiple antisemitic tirades online, performed at Club Blu Dubia on Sunday.

Video footage shows the rapper performing to busy crowds at the +44 event held on the 32nd floor of the V Hotel which is part of the Hilton hotel group.

Posting about his performance on Instagram he said: "Big up whoever got me that booking in Dubai. I just wanna say thank you because man never had no bookings."
The rapper later revealed that fellow British musician DJ Ironik help to secure him the booking.

He later posted a photo with the footballers along with the caption "Thank you @officialdjironik for getting me a booking and big up these dons."

Grime artist Wiley first provoked a storm of outrage in 2020 when he embarked on a antisemitic tirade online that continued for days. He accused Jewish people of being “racists” and “cowards” and asked if it was antisemitic “to say Jewish people have power”.

He described Jews as “snakes;” and told “black people” to go to “war” with Jewish people.

His posts prompted a 48 hour ‘walk out’ by Twitter users in protest over its failure to act quickly in banning the rapper. The posts led to an eventual ban for Wiley from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram as well as being dumped by his record label and manager.

In the same year, Jesse Lingard was one of a number of footballers to take part in a campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism.

He joined fellow premiership stars and managers in a video to mark Holocaust Memorial Day which urged fans to make sure hatred and antisemitism are never accepted in Britain.

The short film included haunting images of Nazi Germany along with pleas from players to ask fans to consider how the Nazis were allowed to grow because their ideology was not challenged.

Marc Cave, director of The National Holocaust Centre and Museum, who made the video with the Jewish News said: "It was great when Jesse stood together with us in our HMD2020 video. Here we are now with Jesse standing together with an unashamed Jew hater.

"I invite him, Marcus Rashford and any other footballers who think they know what racism is to think again. Anti-Jewish racism is not history. It’s now."

Since his ban from the platform, Wiley has returned to Instagram under the username @Wileyrecordings.

Speaking to the JC Marcus Rashford said: "A picture has been brought to my attention which I understand now, given context, could easily be misconstrued. I would like to reinforce that I do not and will not condone discriminative language or behaviour of any kind aimed at the Jewish community or any other community.

"I truly believe that tackling antisemitism in and outside of the game requires a greater level of attention and should very much form part of the game’s anti-racism stance."

Rashford also said he "completely" condemned an antisemitic video tirade Wiley posted where the rapper says: “Why did Hitler hate you? For nothing?” after it was brought to his attention.

I am now Jake and I completely condemn it.
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) January 25, 2022

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism praised Rashford's efforts to fight racism, saying that is why it "is so disappointing to see him and Jesse Lingard hanging out with Wiley.

The spokesperson added: "Mr Rashford's meagre non-apology fails to condemn Wiley or explain why he felt it appropriate to take a photograph with the rapper. Mr Rashford would do well to remember that antisemitism is also racism."

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl said: “Footballers who claim to espouse anti-racism should have nothing to do with a man who spent more than 24 hours abusing Jews on social media until he was forcibly stopped from doing so."

She also welcomed Rashford's response to the photo reaffirming his opposition to antisemitism.

"Marcus Rashford has been a wonderful role model for young people in this country and we are happy that he has responded to this photo and reaffirmed his opposition to antisemitism, but neglects to say why he feels this photo was misconstrued. Separately, Jesse Lingard needs to make his own position clear,” she said.

Responding to a fan on Twitter, Rashford later explained that he "wasn’t aware of comments that had been made when I got pulled into a photo opportunity. Comments that I absolutely condemn. I apologise for any upset caused. We just all happened to be in the same place at the same time."

Jesse Lingard also condemned the photo saying: "I’ve been made aware of a photo circulating currently, that can easily be misconstrued. I want to make it clear that I do not condone any form of racism whatsoever!"

I’ve been made aware of a photo circulating currently, that can easily be misconstrued. I want to make it clear that I do not condone any form of racism whatsoever!
— Jesse Lingard (@JesseLingard) January 25, 2022