Hapoel Kiryat Shmona Furious Over Refereeing After Toto Cup Semi-Final Loss

Hapoel Kiryat Shmona expressed intense anger following their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Toto Cup semi-final on August 16. The club sharply criticized referee Yoni Kalaz and fourth official Shnir Levy, accusing them of biased decisions that directly influenced the match outcome and undermined Kiryat Shmona's successful campaign in the tournament. Club officials sarcastically congratulated Kalaz on advancing to the final, highlighting their frustration.

The main grievance centered on the incident leading to Hapoel Tel Aviv's equalizing goal. Defender Nemanja Ljubisavljevic was instructed to wait outside the field after receiving treatment, but the club argued the ball was out of play and Ljubisavljevic did not voluntarily stop the game. They questioned why play was resumed, giving Hapoel Tel Aviv an unfair advantage. The club also pointed to significant disparities between the teams, including a budget gap of 130 million shekels versus 30 million, playing with 10 men from the 30th minute, and crowd size differences, accusing the referee of favoring the home side under crowd pressure.

Former referee Ziv Adler explained the rules to Sport 5, noting that injured players must leave the field for at least one minute after treatment unless a card is issued to the opposing player. Since Ljubisavljevic received treatment and left the pitch, he was required to wait, which unfortunately cost Kiryat Shmona dearly.

Additional controversy arose over the dismissal of coach Shai Berda, who received two yellow cards for leaving the technical area. The club questioned the fairness of this decision, comparing it to how other coaches might be treated. Looking ahead, Kiryat Shmona must regroup quickly for their upcoming Premier League opener against Maccabi Petah Tikva, where they will miss Ofir Benbenishti due to a red card suspension. Alex Sola is expected to return to the starting lineup.

Despite the bitter loss and refereeing disputes, the club vowed to recover and continue fighting, acknowledging Hapoel Tel Aviv as a worthy opponent who should not need referee assistance to win.