In video, UK soccer team shows Anne Frank among fans who died of COVID

Everton officials quoted saying they’re ‘appalled’ by those who saw fit to sabotage the tribute

Holocaust victim Anne Frank (top right) appears in a video of fans of the English soccer team Everton who died of COVID-19, August 14, 2021. (screenshot: Twitter)
Holocaust victim Anne Frank (top right) appears in a video of fans of the English soccer team Everton who died of COVID-19, August 14, 2021. (screenshot: Twitter)

LONDON — English Premier League soccer team Everton was said to be “appalled” Saturday after a video it posted honoring fans who died during the coronavirus pandemic turned out to also feature an image of Holocaust victim Anne Frank.

The picture of Frank, who perished in a Nazi death camp in 1945, appeared in the four-minute-long video released on the club’s social media channels. It had been put together after an appeal to fans to contribute names and photos.

It remained online for almost seven hours despite an increasing number of fans taking to their own social media to point out the error.

Everton declined to comment but Britain’s Press Association said team officials were “appalled” by those who saw fit to sabotage the tribute, which was collated using submissions from hundreds of fans.

The new version of the video, published shortly before 10 p.m. (2100 GMT), included the message: “Today was all about you. Those reunited with us at Goodison, but sadly also those that couldn’t be there who we have lost over the course of the pandemic. RIP Blues.”

The video had been released on the first weekend of the new Premier League season and just before Everton defeated Southampton 3-1 in their opener.

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