Former Hapoel Be'er Sheva Top Scorer Arnold Garita Expelled from Chinese Club, Returns to Europe

Arnold Garita, the former top scorer of Hapoel Be'er Sheva, has left his Chinese second-division club Shenzhen Youth amid controversy and is returning to Europe to join Steaua Bucharest. Garita, who won the Israeli State Cup with Be'er Sheva, 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, resulting in an 18,000 local currency fine, a five-match suspension, and removal from his team's roster despite his scoring record.

In an interview with the Romanian outlet digisport.ro, Garita described the situation as "a joke" and "ridiculous," saying he had never experienced anything like it in his 15 years of professional football. He explained that after receiving a red card in his last game, his club claimed they could not afford to play five league matches without a foreign striker and thus deregistered him to sign another forward. Garita considered staying for three months without playing before seeking a new club for the next season but ultimately decided to leave.

Now back in Europe, Garita will team up with Israeli player Ofri Arad at Steaua Bucharest. His departure highlights the challenges foreign players can face in leagues with strict roster rules and financial constraints.