Israeli Soccer Coach Told to Drop Dia Saba from National Team

Israeli national soccer team coach Ran Ben Shimon has reportedly been instructed by the Football Association to exclude player Dia Saba from the squad, despite Saba's strong performance in the Turkish league this season. Ben Shimon stated publicly that Saba "professionally has a place in the national team" and that "the door is open to every player." However, according to sports commentators Eli Ohana and Moshe Primo, this statement is misleading.

Ohana claimed on the "5 Baavir" program that Saba received a "stop" message, indicating that "the issue of Saba is not on the agenda." He suggested this directive came from within the Football Association, telling Ben Shimon to "back off the issue." Ohana speculated the reason might be related to past controversies involving Saba's wife, fearing Saba would face boos from the crowd, making his presence undesirable.

Primo corroborated this, stating Saba himself told him he would not be coming to the national team. Primo recalled Saba saying over a month ago that he had gone through a difficult period where "the whole world was against him" and that he couldn't handle coming to the national team and facing his teammates and the crowd. Primo questioned why Ben Shimon continues to say the door is open if the decision to exclude Saba is firm, whether from the association, Saba, or both.