The key facts

  • On October 26, 2026, UKLFI notified four Premier League clubs of possible violations of trademark law
  • Liverpool FC confirmed it is reporting the sales to website operators and social media platforms
  • Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City referred the matter to internal departments or merely confirmed receipt of the letter

Complaints about unauthorized shirts

English club Liverpool FC has confirmed that it is taking action against the sale of unauthorized football shirts bearing pro-Palestinian inscriptions based on a modified club crest. The club fears that fans may mistake such shirts for official club merchandise. This is reported by Euronews citing a Jewish News article published on November 5, 2026.

What exactly is being sold

The trigger was complaints from the organization UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI): on October 26, 2026, it notified four Premier League clubs of possible trademark infringements and published material online. The shirts in question are sold through the website From Palestine to the World, where crests, inscriptions and sponsor logos have been altered to carry political slogans. The clubs did not authorize this merchandise.

The clubs' reaction

The clubs' reactions differ. At Manchester United, the crest is combined with the slogan Manchester with Gaza and an image of a peace dove with an olive branch — the club has passed the information to its brand protection department. At Chelsea, the crest has been turned into Palestine Club, with the word Palestine replacing the sponsor logo; the matter has been referred for internal review. Manchester City confirmed receipt of a letter in which the sponsor Etihad Airways is replaced with Palestine Airways, but has not yet named any specific measures. On the Liverpool shirts, the crest is altered and marked with the initials P.L.C. (Palestine Legislative Council — the Palestinian legislative body). Liverpool has already filed complaints about the listings with website operators and social media platforms and, according to Euronews, plans further steps.

The legal side of the issue

The complaints are based on a possible violation of the British Trade Marks Act 1994: the use of protected crests and logos without permission may constitute an infringement of rights. As Euronews notes, political expression and support for Palestine are in themselves protected by law, but this does not give the right to use someone else's trademarks. An additional risk is that fans may mistake the shirts for official merchandise and attribute to the clubs a political position they have not taken. The publications do not say whether the complaints led to the removal of all listings, or whether the clubs plan to file lawsuits.