Leeds United have issued a grovelling apology after a video surfaced which appears to show players ignoring fans who came to the team hotel looking for autographs.
The incident occurred on Sunday as players left the team hotel and headed to the Vitality Stadium to play Bournemouth, a game which Leeds lost 4-1.
The video in question, which has over 17 million views at the time of writing, appears to show Leeds players ignoring a number of fans, including a young supporter decked out in a full Leeds kit, as they made their way out of the hotel and onto the team bus.
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The players were widely criticised for their actions on social media, with the club issuing an apology on Monday morning for both the performance and the incident.
"As the first team squad at Leeds United, we wanted to reach out to the fan base regarding yesterday’s game and subsequent posts on social media," begins the statement.
"Firstly, the performance was not good enough. There is no other way to look at it and the only way to respond is on the pitch. Leeds fans travel up and down the country in huge numbers and deserve more than this.
"What is just as concerning to us as a group, is the video online of us leaving the hotel. Words can’t express how sorry we are that the youngster in the video wearing the Leeds kit is not shown more love from the squad.
"On a matchday we do an activation walk, before and after this we stop for photos and autographs to ensure we interact with fans, but also that we are on time when leaving for games. However, there is no excuse for not acknowledging fans and if the parents of the fan wearing the Leeds kit in the video could make themselves known to us, we would be grateful.
"We do not believe that this fight is over and we will keep going until the last ball is kicked this season. Thank you again for your support."
The defeat leaves Leeds in 16th place just one point above the relegation zone, while Bournemouth move onto 39 points, virtually securing Premier League football for next season.
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