Ex-Coach's Lawyer Demands Soccer Club Condemn Fan Violence

The lawyer for former Bnei Sakhnin coach Sharon Mimer has sent a letter to the club demanding a public condemnation of a violent incident targeting his client and seeking answers about the club's response. The letter details an event on February 13, 2026, where dozens of fans, some masked and carrying clubs, stormed the team's training complex during a practice session, calling for Mimer's dismissal. The training was halted, players and staff were sent to the locker rooms, and Mimer and his staff had to shelter in an internal room for their safety.

Mimer was escorted out of the city by police, and according to his lawyer, he was forced to file a police complaint himself. The lawyer claims the club did not file its own complaint, did not contact authorities to identify those involved, conducted no internal investigation, and issued no clear public condemnation, instead characterizing the event as a "temporary and unpleasant situation."

Further issues raised concern the club's video documentation of the incident. Mimer alleges the club possessed original video footage but edited and shortened it, omitting parts of the event to present a softened, partial picture. The lawyer is demanding clarification on what materials the club had, whether original files were preserved, who ordered the editing and why, what parts were removed, and if the full footage was given to the police. The club is also instructed to preserve all original documentation and refrain from deleting or altering it.

The letter questions why the club did not show the same resolve in confronting violence directed at its coach as it does now in combating violence generally. It asks why the club didn't contact the police, why no internal review was conducted, and how dozens of fans managed to breach the training facility. The lawyer stressed that "the fight against violence cannot be selective" and that a club advocating for its eradication must act with equal determination when fans are involved and the coach is the victim.

Bnei Sakhnin has been given three days to respond. If they fail to do so, Mimer is considering forwarding all facts and documentation to the Football Association, the League Management, law enforcement, and the media.