Manor Solomon says Villarreal move left him depressed amid hate and locker-room hostility

Israeli winger Manor Solomon said in an interview on "Asehnayim Mehost" that his last-minute move to Villarreal turned out to be a mistake almost immediately. He said he received "hundreds of thousands" of hate messages, felt "half depressed," and that one Moroccan teammate would not shake his hand in the dressing room. The full interview was scheduled to air at 19:00 on 5SPORT.

Solomon said the harshest experience came after October 7, when being an Israeli footballer abroad became especially difficult. Looking back at Villarreal, he said, "From the first moment I understood this was a mistake." He described both public hostility and a difficult atmosphere inside the team, adding that the situation in Spain was unlike anything he had experienced before.

He also discussed the transfer chaos that kept him from staying in Tottenham or returning to Leeds, two clubs he said he had strong ties to. Solomon said he "really connected" with Leeds and loved the club and its supporters, recalling that after his first match there he told himself, "I came to the right place." He said he had wanted to end the season either at Tottenham or Leeds, but injuries, changing interest from Leeds, and late transfer talks complicated everything.

Solomon described a late-window call from Pini, who told him Tottenham wanted to make room in the squad, likely by moving him on so they could sign a French striker. Solomon said he told him, "Go ahead and close Palace. I do not want to be in a place like that." He said the clubs negotiated but the deal collapsed in the final hours, leaving him drained in the national team camp and offended by Tottenham's treatment.