Jerusalem Football Club Faces Dilemma Over Foreign Player Slots

Beitar Jerusalem Football Club is grappling with a "headache" over its foreign player roster, as coach Almog Cohen must decide which seven foreign players will be eligible to play in order to secure a league grant. This decision comes after the team secured its second consecutive victory, defeating Maccabi Petah Tikva 3-1 at Bloomfield Stadium, with strong offensive performances from Omer Atzili, Jovanesko Calo, and Sean Weissman. Tomer Yosefi also contributed significantly with two assists.

Despite the recent success, defensive vulnerabilities were apparent, and the team was fortunate not to concede more goals. The return of defender Nana Antwi from injury is anticipated for the upcoming match against Hapoel Haifa, while Yarden Cohen will remain sidelined until after the international break. The impending availability of new signings Alexis Serna and Uri Azoulay further complicates Cohen's selection process.

Previously, the decision of which foreign player to exclude was straightforward, with Ailson Tavares being the regular omission. However, with the current squad depth, including players who have already seen significant playing time this season, the coach faces a more challenging task. The club's decision to register only seven foreign players is specifically to qualify for a grant from the league administration, which is awarded for fielding seven foreign players.

This policy means that three players who were not dressed for the previous match will be included in the squad for the next game, necessitating the exclusion of one foreign player and two other bench players. Coach Cohen commented, "The struggle is not just for the starting eleven, but now also for who gets dressed, and that's how it should be in a big club." He noted that while excluding players like Liel Darai and Nevo Shdu might seem easy, soon even players with substantial game time may find themselves unable to play.