Former Hapoel Be'er Sheva Top Scorer Arnold Garita Dropped by Chinese Club Amid Controversy

Arnold Garita, the former top scorer for Hapoel Be'er Sheva, has left his Chinese second-division club Shenzhen Youth following a disciplinary controversy. Garita, who won the State Cup with Be'er Sheva last season but left without making a significant impact, scored 11 goals this season and was the league's leading scorer until recently. However, last month he was involved in an incident where he struck an opposing player’s head during a match, resulting in an 18,000 local currency fine, a five-match suspension, and removal from his team's roster despite his scoring record.

The club reportedly stated it could not afford to play five league matches without a foreign striker, leading to Garita's deregistration to make room for another forward. In an interview with digisport.ro, Garita called the situation "a joke" and "completely ridiculous," emphasizing that in his 15 years of professional football, he had never experienced anything like this. He had considered staying with the club for three months without playing before seeking a new team for the following season.

Now back in Europe, Garita is set to join Steaua Bucharest, where he will reunite with Israeli player Ofri Arad. The striker expressed frustration over the handling of his suspension and removal, highlighting his strong performance with 11 goals in 12 league games and 12 goals in all competitions for Shenzhen Youth.