Maccabi Haifa Ticket Dispute: Police and Club Exchange Barbs
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Maccabi Haifa fans are boycotting tickets due to alleged violence over the past five years, according to club spokesperson Dudu Bezek. Police Commander Shlomi Becher stated the issue is an internal club-fan dispute and that police are prepared to ensure fan safety. Bezek cited past incidents of alleged unequal treatment of Haifa fans compared to other teams at Teddy Stadium. The club claims fans have lost trust and are "psychologically and physically scarred" from attending games.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Haifa fans are boycotting tickets due to alleged violence over the past five years.
- Club spokesperson Dudu Bezek cited past incidents of alleged unequal treatment of Haifa fans.
- Police Commander Shlomi Becher called the issue an internal club-fan dispute.
- Becher stated police are prepared to ensure fan safety at Teddy Stadium.
- Bezek claimed fans have lost trust and are "psychologically and physically scarred" from attending games.
A dispute over tickets for Maccabi Haifa fans continues, with the club refusing to collect tickets for an upcoming match. The club's spokesperson, Dudu Bezek, stated that fans have suffered violence for five years and have lost trust in attending games, citing incidents where Haifa fans were allegedly treated more harshly than fans of other teams, such as Beer Sheva, during matches at Teddy Stadium. Bezek claimed that police entered the stands in 2021 to arrest fans for not wearing masks, questioning if this constituted an extreme event. He also pointed out that Beer Sheva fans were allowed flares and flags while Haifa fans were not.
Commander of the Coastal District, Shlomi Becher, countered that the issue is a disagreement between fan organizations and Maccabi Haifa's management, not the police. He stated that he had previously worked with Maccabi Haifa CEO Itzik Ovadia to encourage fans to attend games at Teddy Stadium, but the fans did not heed their requests. Becher asserted that the police are prepared to welcome Maccabi Haifa and ensure their safe arrival and departure, adding that fans would encounter stewards rather than police if they did not engage in violence. He expressed disappointment with Ovadia's handling of the situation and noted that the last reported incident was four years ago, after which Haifa fans decided not to attend.
Bezek insisted that the police representative's comments exacerbate the fans' reluctance to travel to Jerusalem. He clarified that the issue is not related to Hapoel Jerusalem, who he claims is the party suffering financially. Bezek referenced Israel's Sports Law, which he believes dictates that police should remain outside the stands unless there are extreme circumstances. He concluded that fans are not purchasing tickets because they have lost faith, with some returning from Teddy Stadium "psychologically and physically scarred."
