Shino Zuarz Secures Another Term as Head of Football Association

Shino Zuarz, the current Chairman of the Football Association, will continue in his role for another four years. Zuarz will run unopposed in the upcoming December elections, as his challenger, Issawi Frej, failed to gather the required number of signatures to qualify. The election will proceed for procedural purposes only.

Official notification of Frej's disqualification was sent by Legal Department Manager Adv. Ran Cohen Nissan and Legal Advisor Adv. Boaz Citi. Frej secured only 94 votes, or 7.3% of the required support, falling short of the 10% threshold mandated by law for candidacy. This decision comes despite Frej's earlier claims that his candidacy was assured.

Frej had stated earlier on the day of the announcement that he had submitted 150 points worth of team support, exceeding the 10% requirement, and accused the association's leadership of pressuring clubs to prevent his candidacy. However, the association's legal team determined otherwise.

Zuarz, who was first elected in October 2018 and re-elected in December 2022, will now receive official confirmation for his new four-year term. This marks his second full term after a previous shorter tenure.

Frej has vehemently opposed the decision, calling it an illegal disqualification and a disruption of a democratic process. He raised concerns about the timing of the official announcement, which followed a similar leak to the media about 20 hours earlier, suggesting the results might have been manipulated. Frej also criticized the association for withholding the identities of the clubs whose signatures were invalidated and for managing the preliminary process with staff beholden to the current leadership, without an independent election committee or adherence to secret ballot principles. Frej stated his intention to pursue legal action to overturn the decision and ensure fair elections.