New Footage Could Complicate Hapoel Petah Tikva's Soccer Case
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
New video evidence suggests Hapoel Petah Tikva played with 12 players for several minutes during a match against Maccabi Netanya, potentially leading to a technical loss. Player Roi Levi was scheduled for substitution but remained on the field longer than indicated. The club intends to fight the charge, citing similar incidents in other leagues where officials were held responsible.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- New video evidence shows Hapoel Petah Tikva played with 12 players for several minutes during a match.
- Player Roi Levi remained on the field after his substitution was signaled but before he exited.
- Tomer Altman was also delayed entering the game, contributing to the 12-player situation.
- The Football Association prosecutor will charge the team for fielding an ineligible player.
- Hapoel Petah Tikva plans to contest the ruling, citing similar international precedents.
- The club argues that the referees bear responsibility for the situation.
New video evidence has emerged that could potentially complicate matters for Hapoel Petah Tikva after a soccer match against Maccabi Netanya. Initially, it was believed that player Roi Levi exited the game during a penalty in the 94th minute. However, the new footage shows the game actively being played with Levi still on the field, despite him being scheduled for substitution earlier.
The timeline indicates that at 90:35, the substitution board indicated Levi should leave, but he actually departed at 94:02. During this period, Tomer Altman was supposed to enter the game for Erick Billa, but Billa delayed his exit, causing Altman to wait off-field. By 91:22, according to the video, Altman was involved in the game, but serving a sideline penalty, meaning Hapoel Petah Tikva was playing with 11 players instead of the expected 10.
This footage may be presented as evidence in a disciplinary hearing. The prosecutor for the Football Association, Adv. Gilead Bergman, intends to charge the team for fielding an ineligible player. The regulations stipulate a technical loss for such an offense, but the judge has discretion to consider surrounding circumstances, acknowledging that the officiating crew also bears responsibility.
Hapoel Petah Tikva plans to contest the ruling, arguing that the responsibility lies with the referees. Roi Levi stated he was unaware he was being substituted as he was assisting the injured Erick Billa off the field. The club intends to cite precedents from major leagues, including Bayern Munich and a Dutch league match, where teams were not penalized for similar situations involving 12 players on the field, attributing responsibility to the game officials.
"If they rule a technical loss against us, they might as well close down football here," a senior club official commented. The Football Association's legal department will review the match report, with particular attention to the incident where 12 players were involved during Maor Levi's penalty kick that tied the game 1-1 late in stoppage time. The disciplinary tribunal is expected to hear from the main referee and the fourth official, and possibly the team manager and Roi Levi.
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