Israeli soccer coach calls on league to not resume next season unless all hostages return

Hapoel Jerusalem soccer coach Ziv Aryeh, after his team secured its position in the Israeli Premier League with a 4-2 win over Hapoel Hadera on Saturday, only wanted to speak about the remaining 59 hostages in a post-game interview.

“In my opinion, the league shouldn’t resume next season if the hostages haven’t returned,” says Aryeh, his eyes facing downward. “As far as I’m concerned, the country should be turned upside down until they come back. I’m not the prime minister — only the citizens can do something, because there’s no one else who will.”

Aryeh said there was no point in analyzing his team’s season.

“We dreamed of welcoming Hersh Goldberg-Polin at Teddy Stadium,” he said, referring to a Gaza hostage and avid Hapoel fan who was murdered in captivity last year.

Aryeh mentioned a game in late August 2024, when he showed his players a speech made by Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin in which they mentioned the Hapoel team.

“We decided to show it to the players, Jon spoke in Hebrew and English and Rachel in English and I wasn’t sure the foreign players would understand everything,” said Aryeh.

After they showed the speech, his assistant coach later told him about the rumors that Hersh was one of six hostages killed by their Hamas captors.

“To my sorrow, that rumor was true,” said Aryeh.

It was moments like these that have made up the team’s season, said Aryeh.

He has tried to create a normal routine, said Aryeh, but it’s an impossible task when there are hostages still in Gaza.

“The only good moments were when hostages were released,” he said.

“Everything must stop to get those people out,” he added. “This can’t go on. I strongly believe in karma. We can’t continue like this — I already said the league should have been stopped. Someone should say what needs to be done, and we’ll do it. Everything must stop to get them out; nothing else matters. Someone who makes decisions should listen — this country isn’t going anywhere until the hostages, both living and dead, are returned.”