Maccabi Haifa player Omer Dahan said in a personal post on Monday that he is the footballer at the center of the investigation shaking Israeli soccer. Dahan, who was arrested as part of the inquiry, denied any involvement in match-fixing or selling matches, and said he had always acted with dedication and integrity.
In his statement, Dahan wrote, "I want to make it absolutely clear that I have no connection to claims of match-fixing and selling matches." He said the allegations do not reflect who he is or how he has behaved over the years, added that he had never harmed any team he played for, and apologized to fans and people in sports for the distress caused by the reports. He also urged the public and media not to draw conclusions before the investigation ends, saying he respects the legal process and is fully cooperating so that "the truth will be revealed in full."
Dahan also addressed his personal background, saying he has gone through difficult financial and family periods, but that his private life is completely separate from the professional issues under investigation.
At the same time, investigators are still examining allegations involving Ironi Tiberias, where players were reportedly given forbidden intravenous infusions before a decisive match against M.S. Ashdod in the bottom playoff round. According to the reports, the infusions were administered during a team practice three days before the game, allegedly totaling 1,000 ml, far above the 100 ml limit allowed under WADA rules within 12 hours except in exceptional medical cases. The case is said to involve about 14 players and staff members, with recordings, messages, photos, and documents collected and passed to the relevant football association officials. M.S. Ashdod has also asked the association to investigate the matter after being relegated to the National League at the end of the season.
