Bnei Raina Owner Slams Referees as Incompetent and Biased

Saeed Basoul, the owner of the newly relegated Israeli National League team Bnei Raina, has launched a scathing attack on the country's football referees, accusing them of incompetence and deliberate bias against his club. Basoul's comments came after his team's 1-1 draw against Rishon LeZion, marking their fourth consecutive game without a win.

Basoul expressed frustration over what he perceives as a pattern of incorrect calls affecting his team. He cited a letter from the Referees Association admitting numerous errors against Raina last season, and mentioned specific incidents from recent matches, including a disallowed penalty and a controversial offside call that led to a goal. He described the referees, particularly the linesmen, as inexperienced and lacking basic knowledge of the rules, comparing them to "kids with gel" more concerned with their appearance than officiating.

"If the association doesn't know how to train referees, then it's guilty," Basoul stated, lamenting the financial investment in a team undermined by what he called "clownish" officiating. He questioned the authority of young referees who, he claimed, act disrespectfully towards club officials.

Despite the officiating issues, Basoul remains confident in his team's squad, which currently has 14 points. He indicated a willingness to strengthen the team in January if necessary and declared that he is moving past the officiating errors, whether intentional or not. However, he also revealed he is consulting with a lawyer about potential legal action, strongly suspecting the mistakes are deliberate. Basoul pointed to instances of coaches allegedly whispering to referees during halftime and missed calls on fouls as further evidence of systemic problems.