FIFA Bans Hapoel Haifa From Transfers for One Year Over Player Transfer Dispute

Hapoel Haifa has been handed a significant penalty by FIFA, which has imposed a one-year transfer ban on the club. The decision stems from a dispute over the transfer of player Ofek Biton from Ukrainian club Polissya Zhytomyr to Hapoel Haifa. In addition to the ban, the Israeli club has been ordered to pay 350,000 euros in compensation to Polissya Zhytomyr.

Hapoel Haifa has announced its intention to appeal FIFA's ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Club CEO Itay Rak expressed confidence that the decision would be overturned within days, stating, "We filed an appeal a few days ago, and we estimate that within a few days the decision will be reversed."

The Ukrainian club accused Hapoel Haifa of inducing Biton to break his contract to facilitate his move. FIFA accepted these claims, leading to the sanctions against the "Reds from the Carmel."

Hapoel Haifa's defense centers on the claim that they only approached Biton after his contract with Polissya Zhytomyr had expired. The club also asserts that Biton signed a clause releasing him from any obligations, with any associated costs to be solely his responsibility. Hapoel Haifa argues that the burden of proof lies with the Ukrainian club and that the dispute is essentially between Polissya and Biton, with Hapoel Haifa being inadvertently drawn into it.