Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Beersheba appeared on Wednesday before the Israel Football Association disciplinary court after the mass dismissals and chaos that followed the State Cup final. The two clubs were given 10 days to try to reach plea bargains that could reduce the punishments handed down to players involved.
The central case concerned Maccabi defender Kristian Blitz, who was suspended for 10 matches. Blitz told the court he did not know that Faraud was a player, saying he was in civilian clothes and that he did not understand why he was on the field. “I started it,” Blitz said of his own involvement, but he added that he had first confronted Faraud because he feared being thrown to the ground and injured again after a season in which he had suffered many injuries. “I was afraid to get hurt again. I do not want to miss more matches,” he said.
Association prosecutor Adv. Gilad Bergman argued that Blitz’s reaction was disproportionate and called the episode “a disgrace for both sides,” insisting that “Blitz was unequivocally the one who started the incident with Faraud.” Maccabi’s lawyer countered that Blitz had been lifted into the air and suffered back pain, and said the punishment was “completely excessive.”
Maccabi director Yoev Zeev also described his version of events, saying he saw Beersheba players inside Maccabi’s bench area, moved his own players away, and then tried to calm things down as tensions rose after the match. He said his kick was meant to separate people and instead hit Blitz. “My kick was intended only to break it up,” Zeev said, adding that although his conduct may not have been ideal, he saw a civilian lifting Blitz. Maccabi’s attorney backed Zeev, calling him “the responsible adult throughout the event” who tried to prevent violence.
