New Video Could Complicate Hapoel Petah Tikva's Soccer Match Situation
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
New video evidence suggests Hapoel Petah Tikva played with 12 players for several minutes during a recent match against Maccabi Netanya, potentially leading to a technical loss. Player Roee Levy remained on the field past his scheduled substitution time, while another player, Tomer Altman, was delayed from entering. The Football Association's prosecutor plans to charge the team, but Hapoel Petah Tikva intends to fight the ruling, citing similar incidents in other leagues where officials were held responsible. The club warns that a technical loss would be devastating.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- New video evidence shows Hapoel Petah Tikva may have played with 12 players for several minutes.
- Player Roee Levy remained on the field past his scheduled substitution time.
- The Football Association plans to charge the team with fielding an ineligible player.
- Hapoel Petah Tikva intends to contest the ruling, citing precedents from other leagues.
- The club argues officials bear responsibility for the substitution error.
- A technical loss could have severe consequences for Hapoel Petah Tikva.
New video evidence has emerged that could complicate matters for the soccer club Hapoel Petah Tikva. Initially, it was believed that player Roee Levy left the field during a penalty kick in the 94th minute of a match against Maccabi Netanya. However, the new footage shows Levy was still actively playing when the game was in progress, despite having been scheduled for substitution earlier.
The timeline indicates that Levy was supposed to be substituted at 90:35, but he did not leave the field until 94:02. During this period, another player, Tomer Altman, was also meant to enter the game in place of Erick Billa. Billa delayed his exit, causing Altman to wait off the field. The video shows Altman participating in the game at 91:22, while Hapoel Petah Tikva had 11 players on the field instead of the expected 10.
This footage may be used as evidence in a disciplinary hearing. The prosecution could argue that Hapoel Petah Tikva benefited from an unfair advantage by having an extra player on the field during active play. The Football Association's legal department will review the match report, focusing on the incident where 12 players were involved during Maor Levy's penalty kick, which tied the score at 1-1 in stoppage time. The association's prosecutor, Gilead Bergman, intends to charge the team with fielding an ineligible player, which typically results in a technical loss.
However, the judge presiding over the case has discretion to consider surrounding circumstances, including potential responsibility of the officiating crew. The Football Association is aware of past precedents. While the regulations are clear on the penalty for fielding an extra player, the circumstances leading to the situation will be crucial. The disciplinary court may summon the main referee, Gal Leibovitz, the fourth official, Yigal Fried, team manager Eliran Bernstein, and player Roee Levy.
Hapoel Petah Tikva plans to contest the potential technical loss, arguing that the responsibility lies with the officials. Roee Levy stated he was unaware he was being substituted as he was assisting Erick Billa off the field due to injury. The club intends to use precedents from other leagues, citing cases where Bayern Munich and Fortuna Sittard were not penalized for similar infractions, with responsibility placed on the referees. A senior club official warned that a technical loss would effectively end the club's season.
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