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Israeli FA punish Beitar Jerusalem

Apr 19 2008

Israeli FA punish Beitar Jerusalem

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By Agencies

Beitar Jerusalem had two points deducted and were handed a 2-0 defeat for their last match by an Israeli Football Association (IFA) disciplinary panel following a pitch invasion by their supporters last week.

The panel also ruled that Beitar, Israeli premier league champions, must play the rest of this season's home games behind closed doors, pay a 30,000 shekel ($8,670) fine, and start next season's league campaign with a four-point deduction.

The punishment was imposed after thousands of Beitar fans stormed the field four minutes before fulltime in Sunday's home match against lowly Maccabi Herzliya, with the hosts leading 1-0, to celebrate a victory that would have secured back-to-back league titles.

The pitch invasion forced referee Alon Yeffet to abandon the match, with other Beitar fans venting their anger and Arkady Gaydamak, club owner, pleading with supporters to vacate the playing area.

" ...repeated instances of unsporting and racist chants, fan rowdiness and pitch invasions are not to be found among any other clubs."

IFA disciplinary panel

"We determine that the Beitar supporters invaded the pitch and forced the match to be stopped and then abandoned," the IFA panel said.

Beitar officials said they would appeal the punishment.

Despite the lost points Beitar are still on course to retain the title as they hold a 10-point lead with five matches remaining over three clubs, Maccabi Netanya, Bnei Sakhnin and Kiryat Shmona, at the top of the 12-team premier league.

The IFA panel added that Beitar's disciplinary record included "repeated instances of unsporting and racist chants, fan rowdiness and pitch invasions, not to be found among any other clubs".

Troubled past

Since 2005, the club has been found guilty of various disciplinary offences on more than 20 occasions, according to the IFA.

As league champions, Beitar would play in the Uefa Champions League qualifying rounds next season, and have also reached the Israeli State Cup final as they attempt to win their first league and cup double.

The offending fans, considered the most fanatical in the country, sit in the eastern grandstand at Jerusalem's 25,000-seat Teddy Kollek Stadium.

However, they have also suffered because the IFA panel ordered the club to keep that stand empty for the first two matches next season.

The ruling has also upset relegation-threatened clubs who say the three points handed to Herzliya from the 2-0 win, in a match they were headed for defeat, gives them an unfair advantage as the battle to avoid the drop heats up.