Tiberias denies wrongdoing in alleged illegal IV case, says treatment was within the rules

A new controversy has emerged around Ironi Tiberias after the Israel Football Association received a formal complaint from M.S. Ashdod’s lawyers over alleged use of prohibited intravenous treatment before the teams met in the relegation playoffs. The issue is now under investigation, with the National Anti-Doping Agency also involved.

Tiberias’ staff told Sport 5 that nothing improper occurred. “We did nothing wrong. We acted according to the rules,” they said, adding that an IV was given three days before the match, in a volume of between 1 milliliter and 100 milliliters, which they described as permitted. “We checked everything and knew we wanted to help and wake up the players, but everything was in known and familiar quantities, and without prohibited substances,” the staff said.

The club also said that saline and potassium IVs can be administered up to 12 hours before a match, while any infusion above 100 milliliters within 12 hours is forbidden. The comments amount to an acknowledgment that the team tried to energize players before the game, but Tiberias insists it stayed within the law.

The match in question was played on May 3 at Yud-Alef Stadium in Ashdod, where Tiberias won 3-0. Sambinha scored in the third minute, Ondrej Bacio doubled the lead in the 61st minute, and Guy Hadida sealed the result in the 74th minute. Ashdod finished the season relegated to Liga Leumit.