Real Madrid’s new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was officially unveiled at the Santiago Bernabéu on June 12, delivering his entire introductory speech in Spanish. Days later, a social media interaction involving Liverpool John Lennon Airport reignited scrutiny — initially fueled by a provocative emoji.
On June 13 (per platform timestamps), the airport’s verified account (@LPL_Airport) quote-retweeted Arnold’s post documenting his departure from the UK to Spain. The airport’s caption read: “He even flew from Manchester as well” — originally paired with a snake emoji, a symbol of betrayal in Western culture. Given Liverpool’s historic rivalry with Manchester United, the snake emoji implied a “disloyalty” subtext, sparking backlash among fans.
Before the post was edited to replace the snake emoji with an eye-roll emoji, hundreds of users viewed the original version. The incident underscores tensions between Arnold’s new Real Madrid chapter and his ties to Liverpool, where he spent his entire professional career before his high-profile transfer.
