Investigation Reveals How Tiberias Intravenous-Fluid Scandal Began

A new investigation into the scandal shaking Israeli football says the dispute centers on an intravenous saline treatment used by Ironi Tiberias after its match against Hapoel Haifa in the lower-table playoffs, three and a half days before a game against M.S. Ashdod. Ashdod has filed an official complaint with the Football Association alleging a doping violation, and the association is now investigating the case.

According to the report, Tiberias staff bought a one-liter package of saline for 40 shekels, because smaller packages were not available in the form used for IV treatment. The club says the purchase itself does not indicate wrongdoing, and that only part of the package was used. Tiberias claims no player received more than 40cc, well below the 100cc threshold that anti-doping rules allow before an IV can become a violation because larger volumes can hide prohibited substances.

The club says six players were involved in the treatment, two stopped after about one minute and four completed the IV, with fitness coaches and medical staff present. Internal checks reportedly found that no player received treatment for more than 15 minutes, which Tiberias says would still not permit more than 100cc. The saline was later discarded as standard medical waste.

The trigger for the affair was a locker-room photo of the IV package and the 40-shekel receipt, which reached Ashdod and prompted its private probe and formal complaint. Tiberias suspects the material was leaked by former club associates who left in the summer, while Ashdod says it will pursue the matter fully. The Football Association is also trying to recruit an insider as a state witness, and sources say there is a positive chance someone will cooperate. Tiberias says it was unaware of the issue until it broke publicly, and that lawyer Guy Busse will lead its legal fight.