Tiberias Club Claims Sports Federation Is Exaggerating Doping Investigation

The Israeli football club Ironi Tiberias has pushed back against the ongoing doping investigation led by the International Sports Doping Committee. On July 15, 2026, the club released an audio recording allegedly featuring investigator Dean Perger speaking to a Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic. In the recording, Perger suggests making a deal and asks if the paramedic is willing to take a polygraph test to clear himself from the case. He warns that the federation's chairman Shino Zwartz and prosecutor Gilad Bergman want to inflate the issue, and says, "If they inflate it, I don't want it on me. If so, I will bring them down for it." Perger emphasizes he does not want the matter to get out of proportion, despite knowing the allegations are false.

The MDA paramedic responds that he is willing to undergo testing and is unconcerned. Perger then offers to send him to a location in northern Israel for the test. Meanwhile, the Israeli Football Association continues to support investigator Perger and states that MDA is conducting its own investigation into the paramedic heard in the recording. Prosecutor Gilad Bergman is expected to file charges against Ironi Tiberias as early as tomorrow, while the investigation by the Israeli Anti-Doping Agency remains ongoing.

This development highlights the tension between the club and the sports authorities amid the doping probe, with the club accusing the federation of attempting to exaggerate the case for political or procedural reasons. The investigation and legal proceedings are still unfolding.