VR Capital Group Seeks Court Intervention in Maccabi Tel Aviv Share Dispute

VR Capital Group, led by Richard Ditz, has filed an urgent request with the Tel Aviv District Court's Economic Department. The company seeks to halt new actions by the Rekanati family and Shimon Mizrahi, who recently exercised their right of first refusal to purchase shares from Ben Ashkenazi. These shares were intended for sale to Jason Levin.

Previously, on September 2, 2026, Ben Ashkenazi's company offered 9% of Maccabi Tel Aviv's shares to Levin for $18 million. VR Capital Group, asserting its right of first refusal, then sought to acquire these shares under the same terms.

A court ruling on September 6, 2026, acknowledged the dispute, stating that corporate actions by Rekanati and Mizrahi would be provisionally marked with a "disqualifying asterisk" pending arbitration. The court urged the parties to expedite the arbitration and allowed Ditz to seek further relief if operational steps were taken based on these actions.

Ditz's current claim is that Rekanati and Mizrahi, who initially intended to sell shares to Levin, are now attempting to become the buyers themselves. This maneuver, Ditz argues, would reduce the number of shares VR Capital Group can acquire due to its exercised right of first refusal. He also points to a significant financial discrepancy, noting that the Rekanati-controlled company sought to sell shares at a club valuation of approximately $172 million, but now aims to buy them at a valuation closer to $200 million.

According to Ditz, this valuation gap, combined with the timing and connection between the deals, suggests a single, coordinated effort to reshape the club's ownership structure before arbitration concludes. Ditz is now asking the court to prevent the transfer or distribution of these shares, any changes to ownership records, and the granting of voting or economic rights stemming from them. He also seeks to freeze prior actions related to the transfer of shares to Levin.