Israeli Footballer Held at Ben Gurion Airport Over Suspected Betting, Match-Fixing

An Israeli footballer was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday over suspicion of large-scale, systematic betting, and has remained in custody מאז. On Tuesday, Chief Inspector Yariv Feinberg, head of the sports bribery and gambling unit, gave new details about the case on Sport 5’s “L-5 BaAvir.”

Feinberg said the arrest grew out of a wider undercover investigation in northern Israel into illegal betting, extortion, and other offenses. He said that in a separate case in Migdal HaEmek, 27 suspects were arrested last week. During that investigation, suspicion arose against one specific player who allegedly placed enormous bets, accumulated debts of hundreds of thousands of shekels, and may have tried to cover them by fixing matches.

According to Feinberg, the suspected matches were in Israel’s Liga Leumit, and the case was transferred to his unit separately from the broader investigation. He said his team is working in full cooperation with the legal department of the Israel Football Association. The player was identified in the undercover probe before the arrests, and the investigation is now focused on him, though more people may be summoned if additional evidence emerges.

Feinberg said there are indicators involving the player’s team, which is why investigators are examining the issue closely. A court will discuss his continued detention on Thursday, and he said release will be considered if it will not harm the investigation. Feinberg also explained that police only learned late at night that the player was on his way to the airport, which is why he was stopped at Ben Gurion. He added that the player’s father, who also serves as his agent, was questioned under caution, and said the new unit was established two months ago under Lahav 433.