Football Leagues Ban Political Activity Ahead of Elections
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
The Chairman of the Football Leagues Administration, Erez Halfon, has banned all political activity and electioneering by professional football clubs ahead of upcoming Knesset elections. The directive prohibits any actions that could be seen as political propaganda, both on and off the field, including stadium advertising. Halfon cited potential damage to Israeli football and violations of international football regulations as reasons for the ban.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Football Leagues Administration Chairman Erez Halfon banned all political activity by clubs before elections.
- The ban covers actions on and off the field, including stadium advertising and candidate visits.
- Halfon warned that politicizing football could damage the sport in Israel.
- The directive aligns with regulations from FIFA, UEFA, and the Football Association.
- Clubs must ensure third parties do not use their advertising spaces for political purposes.
The Chairman of the Football Leagues Administration, Erez Halfon, has issued a sweeping directive to professional football clubs, prohibiting any political involvement or electioneering activities by the clubs or their representatives. The letter, sent on Wednesday, explicitly forbids actions that could be construed as election propaganda, extending the ban to activities both on and off the field.
Halfon emphasized in his letter that the prohibition includes visits to candidates, taking joint photos, entering locker rooms, appearing on the field, and any other activity with a political character. The ban also covers political advertisements within stadium premises, prohibiting the use of permanent or temporary signage, posters, flags, distribution of campaign materials, LED screens, electronic boards, digital advertising, and public address systems for electioneering or political promotion.
According to Halfon, political involvement by football clubs contravenes the regulations of FIFA, UEFA, and the Football Association. He warned of the potential damage to Israeli football resulting from its politicization and the involvement of clubs or their representatives in political activities, both on and off the field.
The directive also requires clubs to ensure that third parties using their advertising spaces do not exploit them for electioneering purposes. Clubs were instructed to disseminate these guidelines to all relevant personnel.
