Original article (in BHS) was published on 30/10/2023; Author: Marija Manojlović
Facebook users are sharing a photo that supposedly depicts Atletico Madrid fans displaying a large Palestinian flag in their stadium. However, it has been confirmed that the photo is not genuine.
On October 19, 2023, a photo was posted on Facebook, alleging that it showcased a display by supporters of the Spanish football club Atletico Madrid, featuring a sizable Palestinian flag. The image was accompanied by the following caption:
Choreography of Atletico Madrid fans…
The photo was shared on another Facebook page with the same description (link).
It was also circulated with somewhat different descriptions, suggesting it was a choreographed display by fans of a Spanish club (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Examples of these descriptions include:
Atletico Madrid fans ❤🇯🇴🇯🇴🇯🇴
Free Palestine (October 19, 2023)
Madrid for Palestine ‼️
Athletic fans sent a clear message ‼️ (October 21, 2023)
Is the photo authentic?
Various fact-checking platforms, such as Lead Stories, Reuters, Boom, The quint, France 24, Facta, Teyit and India Today have already confirmed that the photo is not authentic.
Juan Jose Anaut, the deputy director of communications and marketing at Atletico Madrid, informed Reuters that the photo was not genuine. Reuters further noted that the club had only played one home match since the escalation of violence in Gaza on October 7, which occurred during daylight hours. In the viral photo, the stadium’s floodlights are clearly on.
Facebook users are sharing a photo that supposedly depicts Atletico Madrid fans displaying a large Palestinian flag in their stadium. However, it has been confirmed that the photo is not genuine.
On October 19, 2023, a photo was posted on Facebook, alleging that it showcased a display by supporters of the Spanish football club Atletico Madrid, featuring a sizable Palestinian flag. The image was accompanied by the following caption:
“Choreography of Atletico Madrid fans…”
This photo was also shared on another Facebook page with the same description (link provided).
Additionally, the photo was circulated with slightly different descriptions, suggesting it was a choreographed display by fans of a Spanish club (sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Examples of these descriptions include:
“Atletico Madrid fans ❤🇯🇴🇯🇴🇯🇴 Free Palestine (October 19, 2023) Madrid for Palestine ‼️ Athletic fans sent a clear message ‼️ (October 21, 2023)”
However, it has been established that the photo is not authentic. Various fact-checking platforms, such as Lead Stories, Reuters, Boom, The quint, France 24, Facta, Teyit, and India Today, have all confirmed its inauthenticity.
Juan Jose Anaut, the deputy director of communications and marketing at Atletico Madrid, informed Reuters that the photo was not genuine. Reuters further noted that the club had only played one home match since the escalation of violence in Gaza on October 7, which occurred during daylight hours. In the viral photo, the stadium’s floodlights are clearly on.
The team played a match against Real Sociedad on October 8, and according to information released on the club’s website, it was the only match played by the club between October 7 and 19, the period when the photo surfaced. According to the same source, the match began at 4:15 p.m. and was played during daylight, which can be verified in the video from the club’s official X account.
On October 25, 2023, the players of Atletico Madrid played a Champions League match against Celtic in Glasgow. At this match, the Scottish club’s fans carried Palestinian flags.
Photo generated using artificial intelligence
Further evidence suggests that the photo was generated using artificial intelligence. Hive Moderation‘s AI photo detection tool, available for free, along with other similar tools used by Teyit, France 24, Boom i The quint, indicated that the photo was highly likely to have been created using AI, with a 99.9% certainty.
There are several irregularities in the photo which point to its inauthenticity, such as the unnatural shape of the fans’ hands on it.
Siwei Lyu, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo, told Reuters that the photo strongly signals that it was “made by artificial intelligence, possibly from a model such as steady diffusion”.
According to India Today, the photo was posted on October 18 on the X profile of Atletico Universe. The person behind the account confirmed to this platform that the photo was indeed created using artificial intelligence.
Upon contacting the person behind the account, they confirmed to India Today that the viral photo was created using artificial intelligence. They stated, “I made this photo using Bing Image Creator. It was made to express our support for Palestine.”
Consequently, the initial post presenting the photo of the unfurled Palestinian flag in the stadium, created with the assistance of artificial intelligence, is deemed to be fake news. Other posts are rated as the distribution of fake news.