Hapoel Kiryat Shmona Furious at 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 Sunday night. The club sharply criticized referee Yoni Kalaz and fourth official Shnir Levy, accusing them of continuous bias that directly affected the match outcome and undermined the team’s successful campaign in the tournament. Club officials sarcastically congratulated Kalaz on advancing to the final, highlighting their frustration.

The main complaint centered on the equalizing goal by Hapoel Tel Aviv, which followed a controversial incident involving Kiryat Shmona defender Nemanja Ljubisavljevic. He was asked 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, questioning why the match was restarted to Hapoel Tel Aviv’s advantage. They also pointed to the significant disparities between the clubs, including a budget difference of 130 million shekels versus 30 million, playing with 10 men from the 30th minute, and a hostile crowd.

Former referee Ziv Adler explained the situation from the officials’ perspective, noting that if a player receives treatment and leaves the field, they must remain off for at least one minute unless a card was issued. Ljubisavljevic did not stand up immediately, received treatment, and thus had to stay off longer, which cost Kiryat Shmona dearly.

The club also accused the refereeing team of favoring the home side due to crowd pressure and inexperience, suggesting the referee delayed the final whistle until Hapoel Tel Aviv overturned the score. Another flashpoint was the dismissal of Kiryat Shmona coach Shai Berada, who received two yellow cards for leaving the technical area, a decision the club deemed disrespectful and inconsistent with how other coaches are treated.

Looking ahead, Kiryat Shmona must recover from the loss and prepare for their upcoming Israeli Premier League opener against Maccabi Petah Tikva, where they will be without Ofir Benbenishti due to a red card. Alex Sola is expected to return from suspension. Despite the setback, the club vowed to fight on, emphasizing that Hapoel Tel Aviv is strong enough to win without referee assistance.