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Fans are shocked at David de Gea seemingly aiming a dig at Erik ten Hag's Manchester United sacking. The Spanish goalkeeper posted on X/Twitter the day of the Dutchman's dismissal (October 28).
De Gea sent out a post to his followers on X with just an emoticon. The Fiorentina goalkeeper posted a "chefs kiss" with no explanation.
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It's intriguing as De Gea left Manchester United unceremoniously in the summer of 2023. The Spanish shot-stopper was the club's longest-serving player then and reportedly agreed on a new contract with reduced wages.
Ten Hag made a U-turn and pulled the plug on offering the 33-year-old an extension. The Spaniard posted an emoticon on X of a clown juggling, which fans felt was directed at the way he handled his situation.
De Gea sat out the 2023-24 season after his United exit but joined Fiorentina as a free agent in the summer. He's impressed with the Serie A side, keeping two clean sheets in eight games.
Ten Hag's sacking comes with the Red Devils sitting 14th in the Premier League. They were handed their fourth defeat of the league campaign by West Ham United in a controversial 2-1 loss at the London Stadium.
Fans gave interesting responses to De Gea, seemingly mocking the situation. One fan wrote:
"What a hater."
Another fan wasn't too happy with the veteran goalkeeper:
"Pretty petty from you, Dave."
More fans gave their thoughts on X:
How did De Gea leave Ten Hag's Manchester United?
De Gea spent 12 years at Manchester United and became a hero at Old Trafford. The 45-cap Spain international's shot-stopping highlight reel made him a hit with fans, and he won the club's Player of the Year award a joint-record four times.
The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper started regressing in the latter stages of his United spell. Ironically, one of his most disappointing performances in his final season at Old Trafford came against West Ham.
De Gea spilled Said Benrahma's long-range shot to gift the Hammers a 1-0 win at the London Stadium. Ten Hag threw his support behind his shot-stopper by insisting individual mistakes were 'part of football'.
That perhaps wasn't telling of the Dutchman's stance, as De Gea's contract situation wasn't resolved by the end of the season. Another mistake in a 2-1 loss to Manchester City in the 2023 FA Cup final was seemingly the final straw.
De Gea didn't get to bid farewell to Manchester United fans at Old Trafford. This infuriated captain and close friend Bruno Fernandes, and fans felt he was mistreated.
