Ironi Tiberias Suffers First Loss, Blames Shortened Squad and Poor Preparation

Ironi Tiberias experienced their first league defeat of the new season, losing 2-0 to Hapoel Kiryat Shmona after a season-opening win. Despite creating chances, the team failed to score, leaving them three points from escaping the bottom of the table. Club officials expressed disappointment but attributed the loss to a depleted squad and inadequate pre-season preparation, stating, "With our full squad, it wouldn't have ended like this. We had poor preparation, our training camp was ruined at the last minute, and this is how it looks."

The team was missing injured players Mansour Badji and Kais Ghanem. Ghanem is expected to return for the next match against Maccabi Petah Tikva, while Badji will be sidelined for approximately two weeks. Daniel Golani was substituted with a suspected calf strain, which was later diagnosed as a minor muscle pull and not expected to keep him out long.

Additionally, Ironi Tiberias awaits the return of four players suspended by the Anti-Doping Agency. Guy Hadida, Niv Gottlieb, and David Keltjens have reached a settlement and will return to training on September 13. Defender Sambinha, currently in Portugal and without legal representation, has not yet reached an agreement, though the club anticipates a resolution this week. They expect Sambinha to receive the same three-month ban as the other players.

New signing Arthur Mirinian is awaiting the completion of his paperwork before arriving in Israel, with the club expecting this to be finalized this week. Substitute Eden Shamir commented on his personal condition and the team's performance, stating he is not yet fit to start but is getting back into shape and contributed with his experience. He added that the team conceded preventable goals but fought throughout the game, which could have gone either way.