Lawyer Says Footballer Suspect Is Cooperating With Gambling Investigation

A football player from a major Israeli club is facing new suspicions over large-scale, systematic betting, according to reports on Sunday. The case has stirred the Israeli football world, but the player has not been named publicly in the article.

His lawyer, Bat-El Shriky, told Channel 5 program "5 Be-Avir" that he is fully cooperating with investigators and wants to clear his name. "These are only suspicions," she said, adding that as the probe advances, "it will become clear there is no basis for the claims." She also said there is a "huge gap between the headlines and the evidence." In her view, the outcome will show that "the mountain brought forth a mouse" and that an injustice was done to a normal person whose name became tied to the affair.

Shriky described the player as a respected man from a normal family who devoted his life to his sports career, and urged the public not to judge him before the investigation ends. She said he is not afraid, "knows he has nothing to fear," and is speaking to police in order to get to the truth and cleanse his name.

She also said he had intended to go on a short vacation with his girlfriend and was not aware he needed to appear for questioning. According to her, he was stopped by police on the way. She argued it was not right to detain him there, said officers know where he lives, and predicted the case would end quickly without an indictment. She added that more would be clarified in the coming days and that he has the support of family and friends.