Why some Asian Liverpool fans are upset with Naby Keita’s “imperialistic” tattoo

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita (Photo: Liverpool F.C.)


Liverpool’s new midfielder Naby Keita has finally arrived after a long wait of one year, and fans are already buzzing to see him in action alongside their other new signing, Fabinho.

Keita officially joined the club on 1 July and he has already sparked a controversy with his new tattoo.

As seen in some recent pictures, Keita has a “Rising Sun” tattoo on his left arm, which was a symbol of Japanese Imperialism before WW2.

 

The Rising Sun symbol is still used by some Japanese Right-wing extremists at various political rallies.

Keita’s tattoo has not gone down well with many of the club’s Korean fans as both the present day Koreas were Japanese colonies before Japan was defeated by the United States during WW2.

The “Rising Sun” symbol has been compared with the infamous “Swastika” symbol of the Nazi party. One South Korean supporter even made this comparison and asked the club and player to do something regarding the same.

 

Neither Keita, nor the club has given any official clarification so far. The fans will be hoping that they do it soon because political situations can escalate very quickly into huge controversies.