Maccabi Haifa Supported Goalkeeper's Refusal to Shake Hands with Belarusian Team
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Former Maccabi Haifa goalkeeper Giorgi Yermakov stated the club supported his refusal to shake hands with Belarusian opponents due to their ties with Russia. This support was partly influenced by a prior incident where Villarreal players backed Palestinians. Yermakov also shared how he raised his Maccabi Haifa teammates' awareness about the war in Ukraine through social media content, increasing their interest and questions about the conflict.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Haifa supported Giorgi Yermakov's refusal to shake hands with Belarusian opponents.
- The club's support was influenced by a prior incident involving Villarreal players and Palestinians.
- Yermakov cited Belarus's close ties with Russia as his reason for the refusal.
- He also raised his teammates' awareness about the war in Ukraine.
- Yermakov shared his experiences on a Ukrainian podcast.
- He currently plays for Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv.
Former Maccabi Haifa goalkeeper Giorgi Yermakov revealed in a Ukrainian podcast that the Israeli club supported his decision not to shake hands with players from the Belarusian team Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino during a Conference League qualifier. Yermakov, who is from Ukraine, explained that he had warned his teammates about his intention due to Belarus's close ties with Russia. He stated that his teammates respected his stance, understanding the context, partly due to a similar incident involving Villarreal players who expressed support for Palestinians after the October 7th attack on Israel. Yermakov said Maccabi Haifa players told him they supported his decision and that he could refuse to shake opponents' hands if he wished.
Yermakov also discussed his experience at Maccabi Haifa regarding awareness of the war in Ukraine. He noted that upon his arrival, there was limited understanding of the situation in his home country, but he managed to raise awareness by sharing content on social media. He explained that while people are often focused on their own national issues, his posts gradually increased his teammates' interest, leading them to ask him about the situation in Ukraine and his family's well-being approximately every three days.
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