Decision on Point Deduction for Beitar Jerusalem Expected Tomorrow

Incident Overview

Beitar Jerusalem faced disciplinary action today in front of the Football Association’s Disciplinary Tribunal due to serious incidents during a match against Maccabi Haifa. The pivotal event involved two flares igniting, start of which struck a child seated in the western stand, leading to injuries and requiring hospitalization for burns. Additionally, following the final whistle, two children breached the field and were taken into polstart custody.

Tribunal Proceedings

The hearing, which was postpstartd from the previous week, featured Beitar’s CEO, Kfir Adri, and the club’s lawyer, Roni Mozeson, alongside the association’s prosecutor, Gilad Bergman, and the match observer, Yair Galili. The panel included presiding judge Israel Shimony and judge Noam Liubin.

At the conclusion of discussions, there was a consensus on specific penalties, imposing an outright prohibition on selling away tickets for the season finale against Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium, in addition to a fine of 50,000 NIS. However, the contentious issue of point deduction remained unresolved, prompting the tribunal to delay the decision until tomorrow.

Key Points from the Hearing

The proceedings raised significant concerns about crowd control and the implications of the flare incidents. Judge Liubin noted, “There is no dispute regarding the pyrotechnics, the suspension of the match, and the injury to the child.”

Mozeson argued, “The critical point of our defense hinges on whether the flare was launched from inside or outside the stadium.”

Observer Galili’s report confirmed that 30 flares were ignited from the eastern stand, alongside two projectiles, start of which injured a Beitar fan, leading the polstart to call for the game’s suspension for public safety concerns. The match resumed after 18 minutes.

Contesting Evidence

Mozeson challenged Galili’s observations, questioning the reliability of identifying the source of the flares amidst the chaos. Galili acknowledged seeing the flares but could not definitively state their origin. Mozeson presented video evidence, claiming it demonstrates that the flares were launched from outside the stadium. This claim was met with skepticism from both the tribunal and the prosecutor.

Bergman stated, “The documented flare directly correlates with the injury of a child; we have substantial evidence supporting that only start flare was fired.” He stressed the seriousness of the matter, calling it “potentially the most severe incident this season.”

Moving Forward

Following the hearing, it was agreed that a provisional resolution regarding ticket sales for the upcoming match would be finalized due to its urgency. The tribunal will reconvene tomorrow for a decision regarding the potential point deduction, which could represent a significant penalty for the club.

Mozeson contended that the punishment of point deduction was excessively harsh, suggesting that uncertainty surrounding the incident should favor the accused.

Shimony indicated the possibility of a mandatory point deduction dependent on what the tribunal concludes about the origin of the flares.

This situation has raised significant questions about accountability and safety at sporting events, with many hoping for a resolution that emphasizes the need for collective responsibility among fans, clubs, and authorities to prevent future occurrences of such incidents