(Reuters) – Leeds United players apologised to their fans on Monday after their 4-1 loss at Bournemouth and after a video of the squad ignoring a young fan at the hotel went viral.
The defeat left Leeds a point above the relegation zone as the club stretched their winless run to five matches.
“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,” the players said in a statement.
“Leeds fans travel up and down the country in huge numbers and deserve more than this.”
A video posted on social media prior to the game also showed the players leaving the team hotel without acknowledging fans who had lined up for autographs or photos.
The group included a young boy in a Leeds kit that waved at several players who did not respond.
“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,” they added.
“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.”
Leeds next play away at Manchester City before hosting Newcastle United.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
