Hapoel Be'er Sheva Slams Referee Yigal Fried After Loss

Hapoel Be'er Sheva has expressed significant anger towards referee Yigal Fried and his officiating team following their recent match at Turner Stadium. Club officials stated that the referees "must understand they are not the show," criticizing Fried's decisions that they believe negatively impacted the game.

The primary point of contention was the second yellow card issued to midfielder Eliel Peretz, which led to his expulsion. Hapoel Be'er Sheva argues that even if Peretz uttered some words, a single yellow card should have sufficed, and the second "finished the game." Peretz himself maintains his version of events, claiming Fried did not stop play when Miguel Vítor was injured, and suggested Fried would have acted differently if Maccabi Tel Aviv were involved. After receiving his first yellow card, Peretz reportedly confronted Fried, questioning the call and accusing the referee of trying to "steal the show."

Be'er Sheva insists that a single yellow card would have been appropriate and that Fried's overall performance was unacceptable. The club feels the refereeing decisions unfairly decided the outcome of the match.