Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Beersheba are set to appear before the disciplinary court on Wednesday over the brawl that followed the State Cup final, after a planned delay to allow both sides to prepare. There have been no plea-bargain talks with the Israel Football Association prosecutor, so the hearing is expected to be detailed and include new evidence and arguments.
The prosecutor has asked for severe punishments, including a six-month ban from stadiums for Yoav Zeev, eight matches suspended and eight additional suspended for Kristian Bliz, eight plus eight for Kerwin Andrade, five plus five for Elad Madmon, and four plus four for Tyrese Asante. Maccabi says it was surprised both by the lack of plea negotiations and by the fact that the indictment was not amended against what it calls the player who initiated everything, Kings Kangwa.
According to Maccabi, video footage shows Kangwa starting the confrontation in the 94th minute near Maccabi’s bench, using elbows and punches against Maccabi players and escalating the tension without intervention from the referee. The club also notes that the only player shown a red card in that incident was Amir Sahiiti, not Kangwa.
Maccabi plans to argue that Beersheba’s behavior after winning the title over Maccabi last week was calm, while the Cup final ended in an ugly fight because Beersheba players could not accept defeat. The club’s central claim is that it was dragged into the melee and acted in self-defense while trying to help teammates under attack.
Individually, Maccabi intends to say Madmon had nothing to do with the fight and should not have been charged. It will argue that Asante tried to stop Mohammed Abu Rumi from lunging at Itai Ben Hamo, and that Zeev entered the pitch to separate the sides, pushed Asante back, pulled away Idan Shahar, and tried to break up the confrontation, with a motion of his leg possibly misread as an attempted kick.
