Beitar Jerusalem Accuses Maccabi Haifa CEO Itzik Ovadia of Undermining Club in President's Award Dispute
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Beitar Jerusalem accused Maccabi Haifa CEO Itzik Ovadia of intimidation after a contested President's Award vote led to Beitar winning over Haifa in August 2026.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Beitar Jerusalem won the President's Award after a close vote against Maccabi Haifa.
- Maccabi Haifa initially led, but a re-vote awarded Beitar Jerusalem the prize.
- Beitar publicly criticized Maccabi Haifa CEO Itzik Ovadia for opposing the committee's decision.
- The club accused Ovadia of sending threatening messages during the award process.
- The award committee included prominent Israeli sports and cultural figures.
- The dispute exposed tensions between the two football clubs over the community prize.
Beitar Jerusalem issued a strong public statement on August 17, 2026, condemning Maccabi Haifa CEO Itzik Ovadia amid controversy over the President's Award competition. The dispute arose during the award selection process, which was closely contested between Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Haifa. Although Maccabi Haifa initially led the voting, a re-vote was held, resulting in Beitar Jerusalem winning the award from the capital city.
Following the decision, Beitar Jerusalem accused Ovadia of opposing the committee's choice and sending threatening messages aimed at intimidating the community prize process. The club labeled Ovadia as a "small CEO" in their official statement, criticizing his conduct and influence during the award deliberations.
The award committee included notable figures such as Andy Ram, Batel Gerbi, Nurit Sharvit, Itzik Sasportas, Nir Chen, Oren Avraham, and Ashraf Halabi, who collectively decided to grant the President's Award to Beitar Jerusalem. The incident highlights tensions between the two clubs and raises questions about the integrity of the award process.
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