Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Be'er Sheva appeared on Wednesday before the Israel Football Association disciplinary court after the chaotic Israeli Cup final led to mass suspensions. The two clubs were given 10 days to reach plea deals that could reduce the sanctions against their players.
The main focus was Maccabi defender Kristian Blizic, who was handed a 10-match ban. Blizic said he was attacked first and acted out of fear of getting hurt again after a difficult season marked by multiple injuries. “I started it,” he admitted, adding that he did not know that Farhoud was a player because he was in civilian clothes and that “before I understood what was happening, I was suddenly in the air.” He said he did not want to miss more matches.
Association prosecutor Adv. Gilad Bergman argued that Blizic’s response was disproportionate and that he was clearly the one who initiated the confrontation with Farhoud. Maccabi’s lawyer rejected that claim, saying Blizic was lifted into the air and suffered back pain, and that the punishment was excessive.
Maccabi manager Yoav Ziv also gave his account, saying Hapoel Be'er Sheva players were inside Maccabi’s bench area and that he tried to move his own players away. He said he went to his team’s half after the match and saw tensions rising, asked that Be'er Sheva players be moved to their bench, and claimed his kick was meant to separate people, not hit anyone: “My kick was intended to separate and actually hit Blizic.” Maccabi’s attorney described Ziv as the “responsible adult” throughout the incident, saying he kept players apart to prevent violence.
