Beitar Jerusalem Players Shocked by Fan Violence at Training Ground

Dozens of masked fans stormed the training complex of Beitar Jerusalem on Saturday, confronting players and staff after a recent loss. The fans, who arrived before training, threw fireworks towards the locker room, entered it, cursed at the players, and issued threats. The incident lasted several minutes.

Head coach Almog Cohen took responsibility for the situation, telling the fans, "I am responsible and I am to blame for the situation." However, players expressed their dismay, with one stating, "Dozens of fans entered our home, cursed us in the harshest way possible to our faces, threatened us, threw fireworks. This is not an event that should be tolerated or normalized; there is a limit to everything." The player added that the fans' actions would not help the team improve its poor start to the season.

The club attempted to downplay the incident, calling it routine after losses, especially following a defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv. However, sources within the club indicated significant pressure ahead of their upcoming match against Bnei Sakhnin on Monday. "If we don't win, what happened after Hapoel will seem like nothing," a club official warned.

Coach Cohen faces lineup decisions due to player fatigue. Yarden Shua, who has underperformed this season, may be benched, while Jonbozko Kalo is expected to return after illness. Yarden Cohen will be absent, and the club is trying to get Nana Antwi ready to play.