From Police arrest 11 more fans after soccer brawl over national anthem
Screenshot of Hapoel Beersheba fans and Bnei Sakhnin fans fighting on the soccer pitch after the latter team's fans turned their backs during the national anthem, Turner Stadium, Beersheba, September 1, 2024. (X;used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
Police say they have arrested 11 more people after clashes Sunday at a soccer match when fans of Israeli premier league team Hapoel Beersheba charged across the field to fight fans of Arab Israeli team Bnei Sakhnin after some of them turned their backs during the national anthem ahead of the kickoff.
The arrests bring to 23 the number of people detained.
Although officials tried to restart the match, Bnei Sakhnin players refused to play and the game against Beersheba was canceled.
Both teams were expected to face punishments over the incident, with Bnei Sakhnin suffering a technical loss. They are likely to appeal.
