Referees' Association Admits Critical Errors in Bnei Yehuda's Cup Loss

The Israeli Referees' Association has acknowledged that referee Aviad Shiloh made three critical errors that disadvantaged Bnei Yehuda during their State Cup match against MS Ashdod. The club had filed a complaint following the game, and the association's chairman of the national refereeing committee, Ziv Adler, confirmed the mistakes in a letter to Bnei Yehuda CEO Oshri Dadai. These errors included a wrongly awarded penalty to Ashdod in the 121st minute, which Bnei Yehuda claims decided the match. The committee stated that the hand ball which led to the penalty did not warrant a call, as the player's hand was close to his body.

Adler's letter detailed other significant misjudgments. In the 64th minute, a penalty should have been awarded to Bnei Yehuda for a foul by an Ashdod defender. Additionally, an Ashdod player should have received a second yellow card in the 111th minute, and another Bnei Yehuda player, number 77, should have been sent off with a second yellow in the 96th minute.

The association did not hold back its criticism of Shiloh's performance, stating they were "unsatisfied, to say the least." His errors were reflected in his review score. However, the committee firmly rejected any suggestions of bias, emphasizing that these were purely professional mistakes. They also denied Bnei Yehuda's request to prevent Shiloh from officiating their future matches, stating that referees are not disqualified based on professional claims.

Bnei Yehuda responded by welcoming the referees' association's acknowledgment of the errors but expressed their deep disappointment, believing the mistakes led to their elimination from the cup. The club questioned who would be held accountable and what steps would be taken to prevent recurrence, stating that while admitting fault is important, true responsibility is measured by subsequent actions.