Longtime Business Partners Clash Over Millions in Tiberias Football Club Dispute

Miki Bitan and Aryeh Kalmanzon, business partners for 30 years with shared assets including real estate and the insurance company Dorot, are embroiled in a major financial dispute. The conflict centers on a recent offer to purchase half of Dorot's shares for about 20 million shekels, which Bitan supported but Kalmanzon rejected, denying Bitan any ownership beyond daily profit shares. This disagreement has escalated into legal battles involving defamation claims, police complaints, and potential investigations.

Bitan, who has been banned from football activities for seven years due to a dual-contract scandal, remains influential in the Tiberias football club through family members. Kalmanzon currently holds full control over the club and has asked associates to sever ties with Bitan. Bitan is demanding reimbursement of 2 million shekels for personal expenses related to the club.

The fallout is prompting significant changes at the club, including the expected removal of Bitan's loyalists and uncertainty over the future of coach Eliran Hodeda, Bitan's close confidant implicated in the disciplinary saga that led to Bitan's suspension. An insider noted that while Bitan and Hodeda previously managed the club's affairs, Kalmanzon now exercises sole authority, signaling a new era for Tiberias football.