A Manchester United star angered fans by refusing to sign memorabilia outside Old Trafford, but some supporters believe he made the right decision.
Diogo Dalot was asked to sign autographs by some fans when United took on Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly.
The defender was happy to oblige and signed some items but refused a request to sign shirt numbers.
Many individuals who obtain signed numbers have them printed onto shirts which are then sold for significant amounts.
Some supporters backed Dalot’s decision as he made it clear that he wouldn’t sign numbers.
One user commented: ‘well done Dalot, all these sellers are getting out of hand’.
Manchester United star Diogo Dalot angered some fans by refusing to sign memorabilia
Dalot said that he wouldn’t sign shirt numbers but was happy to sign other items
Some supporters believe that Dalot made the correct decision by not signing numbers
Meanwhile, another added: ‘they stopped signing numbers a long time ago because they end up being resold by hawks. he was signing everything else tho’.
However, some supporters argued that the 26-year-old should still have signed the numbers.
One wrote: ‘Absolutely ridiculous from Dalot. But people will have a shirt with a number on but sign it. Make it make sense.’
Another wrote: ‘100k a week and won’t help someone earn a few hundred quid’.
A debate suddenly raged between some supporters as to whether Dalot made the right decision.
One fan wrote: ‘I get why but footballers earn silly amounts to kick a ball about and won’t help other people hustle bit sad icl. They really don’t get how priviliged they are.’
A fan replied to that statement by saying: ‘Would argue the work needed to be a prem footballer far surpassed any needed to leech off the name they’ve made for themselves.’
Another user suggested that Dalot should be happy to sign any items.
Dalot, who has been at United since 2018, recently changed his squad number to No 2
Two Manchester City players, including Phil Foden, recently refused to sign autographs for fans
Josko Gvardiol was also approached by the young group while stopped at a red light
They wrote: ‘What’s it matter, if I was as rich as him and people could make a few quid off my signature I would be happy. We all making money and we all eating’.
Another fan wrote: ‘These players are paid millions and they don’t want people making a couple of quid on shirt sales. That’s all you need to know about these player.’
However, a user responded by writing: ‘It’s more about the culture of the fans rather than ego of the players. They don’t want to glorify people turning up for signatures only to make profit and not buy a ticket for the game.
Having worn the No 20 shirt since he first arrived at United, Dalot has now switched squad numbers to No 2.
Dalot has been at United since 2018 and has made 210 appearances for the club.
Manchester City star Phil Foden recently ignored supporters who were pleading for a signature.
A video shared across TikTok shows England international Foden sitting behind the wheel of his car while a group of youngsters appealed for him to sign merchandise.
However, Foden, who was accompanied by one of his children and stopped at a red light, continued to look straight ahead before pulling away into the distance.
Shortly after, the group held up a blue City home jersey and a pen to City defender Josko Gvardiol’s near-side window, clearly hoping he would roll it down and sign.
One of the supporters could be heard shouting ‘please’ as they waited next to the car, while another appeared to say ‘he’s not going to open it’.
At one stage, the defender motioned forward with both hands, seemingly pointing out the fact that they were stopped on a busy road with flowing traffic.
In January, City boss Pep Guardiola lectured autograph hunters after they ambushed him outside his house in Manchester.
Guardiola said: ‘Don’t come again, I will not sign again, I know your faces. Go to school and prepare yourselves, you are young, don’t be here wasting your time. Do you want to live your life doing this? Honestly? Do you want to spend the rest of your life doing this? Prepare better, f*****g hell man. What are your dreams? Practice!’.
In 2023 it emerged that United were growing increasingly concerned about autograph hunters after fans harassed Mason Mount for a signed shirt.
Footage of Mount being pressured by a number of supporters, who were keen to get an autograph, emerged on TikTok.
Mount asked the fans to stop following him, saying: ‘Sorry lads. I ain’t singing for the last three days so i don’t know why you lot keep following.’
Sources close to United condemned the fans, claiming ‘action will definitely start to be taken’ if similar incidents continue to occur.
Similar situations have also occurred away from football. NFL star Aaron Rodgers accused a fan of being an ‘autograph hound’ in a tense standoff at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
In a video from Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano that has since gone viral on X, Rodgers is seen identifying one suspected autograph hound and refusing to play a part in the scheme.
Asked to sign a ticket stub from his first NFL appearance with the Green Bay Packers in 2005, Rodgers quickly became suspicious. The item is a rare collectible and not something an everyday fan might have, so when the man claimed he attended the game, Rodgers began asking some questions.
‘You’re talking to somebody with a great memory,’ Rodgers told the fan.
Rodgers was just a 22-year-old backup to Brett Favre when he was called on to make his NFL debut in mop-up duty at the end of a 52-3 win over the visiting New Orleans Saints. He completed one pass – his first as a professional – to fullback Vonta Leach for zero yards and later ran out the clock on New Orleans.
‘I remember the score,’ the suspected autograph hound told Rodgers. ‘It was a blowout.’
Rodgers didn’t hesitate to confront the man: ‘You remember the score. Who’d we play?’
The man quickly responded, ‘Saints,’ but that was hardly convincing. As Rodgers pointed out, that information could be found on the ticket stub.
‘I can tell you the score, I think,’ the man shot back. ‘I think was 50-3. I remember you threw a pass.’
Asked who the pass was thrown to, the autograph seeker admittedly didn’t know: ‘I was 16. 20 years ago.’
That non-answer ultimately doomed his effort to get Rodgers’ autograph.
Rodgers didn’t buy it.
‘You’re an autograph hound,’ he said. ‘Yeah, you are. You can’t fool me.’
‘[If you knew], then I would believe you and I would sign your thing,’ Rodgers said as he continued to sign autographs for other fans. ‘But since I don’t believe you, I’m not going to sign it.’
The unidentified man made one last desperate plea: ‘I was at the game.’
In June music legend Bruce Springsteen looked furious as he refused to sign autographs for fans waiting in the rain in Manchester.
Springsteen, 75, arrived back at his hotel with his security team, who shielded him from the rain with an umbrella.
As Bruce walked towards the entrance he said, ‘I’m signing nothing’ as fans begged him for an autograph, ‘Bruce just one please?’
In the video the Dancing In The Dark hitmaker shook his head as he told them: ‘You guys chase me all around town. I’m signing nothing’.
Bruce continued to walk inside the building, as one fan replied: ‘We didn’t we’ve been waiting here for you’.
