Tottenham Hotspur have turned down Kanye West’s request to perform at their stadium due to their historic connection with the Jewish community.
The number of non-footballing events at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has steadily grown since its opening in 2019.
The retractable pitch allows the venue to host events even during busy periods in the club’s season, with the stadium regularly playing host to big concerts, the NFL and other events.
However, Spurs have turned down the opportunity to have one of the biggest artists in the world perform at the stadium this summer.
Tottenham reject Kanye West’s concert due to past antisemitic comments
The Sun have now revealed that West, who is set to appear at the Wireless Festival this July, asked to perform at Spurs’ home ground this summer.
According to the report, the rapper has made antisemitic remarks in the past, and his song Heil Hitler glorifies the Nazi leader.
Given Tottenham Hotspur’s historic ties with London’s Jewish community, the club decided against approving the 48-year-old’s performance in N17.
A source told the outlet: “Kanye’s team had wanted him to play a run of shows at Tottenham before they considered Wireless. As part of his big music comeback, they thought he warranted a headline run of shows and chose the Tottenham stadium as their venue of choice.
“But when they approached Tottenham with their proposal, the club rejected it. There was no way they would allow Kanye to perform at the club given its history with the Jewish community. They then made the proposal to Wireless, which was accepted.”
Spurs have faced backlash for Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment
Some Tottenham fans have expressed their opposition to De Zerbi’s appointment, citing his previous defence of Mason Greenwood’s character.
His original comments included: “He’s a good guy, he paid a heavy price for what happened, a very heavy price. He has found the right environment for him. We have lent him a hand and given him affection.
“He’s a little bit introverted but I know him and his family. It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described in England.”
The new Spurs boss has apologised for his comments and explained that he did not intend to downplay the issue of violence against women.
He said: “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly.
“In my life, I have always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile. I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.
“Those of you who know me well, will know I’m not the type of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title. I’m sorry if this offended anyone’s feelings with this subject matter – I have a daughter, and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been.
“I hope that over time, people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment, I didn’t mean to take a stance.”
It remains to be seen if the Italian’s comments have managed to assuage the concerns of the vocal section of Tottenham fans who questioned De Zerbi’s fit with the club’s values.
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