Maccabi Haifa Fan Group Urges Supporters to Boycott Upcoming Match

The "Green Monkeys," the primary fan organization for Maccabi Haifa, has issued a statement calling for supporters to boycott the team's upcoming away game against Hapoel Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium. The decision stems from what the fan group describes as "police violence" directed at fans during a previous match.

The "Green Monkeys" previously ended a boycott of Teddy Stadium about a year ago, citing a lack of cooperation from the club. However, they claim that in April, police exhibited unprovoked violence against fans, even after organized fan groups had left the stadium. The fan group views the club's recent decision not to pursue tickets and to encourage fans to stay away as a belated and insufficient response.

"The main motive is to please the fans and reduce the voices of protest in the stands," the statement read, suggesting the club's action is more convenient when playing against Hapoel Jerusalem than it might be against a team like Beitar Jerusalem. The fan group stated that had the club not made this call, they would have attended the game as usual.

"We are not here to deal with ego but with the facts," the organization declared, urging fans to "vote with their feet" to send a clear message that "fans are not criminals." They cited specific incidents from the last game, including a 40-year-old man being dragged on the ground for minutes and 15-year-old minors allegedly being punched in the face for filming the events, asserting these actions were unrelated to organized fan groups.

The "Green Monkeys" emphasized that this message must be delivered unequivocally on Monday, expressing hope that every Maccabi Haifa fan will choose the "right side of the equation." They also opened a discussion thread on their forum for related matters.