Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ X account was hacked late on Sunday night, resulting in a series of bizarre and offensive posts being shared.
The incident occurred just hours after Fernandes played the full 90 minutes in United’s 2–1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the third round of the FA Cup.
The first unusual post read: “Join Macclesfield FC. Excited for the future.” The message appeared to reference sixth-tier Macclesfield Town, who had knocked holders Crystal Palace out of the competition on Saturday.
Shortly afterwards, another post appeared stating: “At the end of the day I will always be a winner. No matter what,” accompanied by a money bag emoji.
Several X-rated and derogatory posts were then published, including remarks aimed at female footballer Alisha Lehmann and social media personality KSI.
The most widely viewed post focused on Manchester United’s ownership structure, stating: “let’s get rid of INEOS.” INEOS is owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is a minority owner at the club and oversees football operations.
As fans began questioning the posts, Manchester United confirmed that Fernandes’s account had been hacked and urged supporters not to engage with any posts or direct messages.
The hacker then shared that warning on Fernandes’s page, adding: “Make sure you guys stay alert for any hacks.”
Other posts included challenges such as “1v1 fifa @LukeTheNuke180” and a controversial statement claiming: “jake paul beat AJ but you aren’t ready for that conversation.”
One post also drew attention when the hacked account replied to 18-year-old United player Shea Lacey, who had been sent off against Brighton and later issued a public apology. The reply read: “just don’t do it again.”
The account continued posting and interacting with users as midnight passed, while club officials worked to regain control.
Before the incident, Fernandes’s account had been active since April 2019 and contained just over 500 posts. His most recent legitimate update was in October, celebrating his 300th appearance for Manchester United.
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