Bnei Raina Owner Saeed Basoul Suspended Six Months for Referee Abuse

Saeed Basoul, the owner of Israeli football club Bnei Raina, has been suspended for six months and fined NIS 5,000, with an additional NIS 10,000 fine suspended, after verbally abusing a referee. The disciplinary action was taken because a previous six-month suspended sentence for a similar offense was activated. The incident occurred during a match between Bnei Raina and Rishon LeZion. According to the referee's report, Basoul approached the fourth official and then confronted the main referee, Niv Ard, at halftime, shouting insults such as "zero, you're a potted plant, a disgrace, you came to learn at our expense, don't look at me, idiot."

Basoul had a prior suspended sentence from last year, when his team played against Bnei Sakhnin. At that time, the Football Association prosecutor had sought a one-year ban, but the tribunal imposed a six-game actual suspension along with the six-month suspended sentence for future misconduct. This time, the disciplinary panel had no discretion and was compelled to activate the suspended ban. The prosecutor, Adv. Galad Bergman, had filed a severe indictment against Basoul. The case was heard by panelist Sigal Berliner Levinson.