UEFA charges Beitar Jerusalem over racist chants in Belgium
Soccer club to face disciplinary panel on Thursday, hours before hosting Belgian team Charleroi in return match
European soccer’s officiating body said Wednesday it had charged Jerusalem’s Beitar soccer team and Belgian club Charleroi over racist incidents involving fans at a Europa League qualifying match last week.
The Union of European Football Associations’ charges against Beitar include racist chants and banners during a volatile 5-1 loss in Belgium last Thursday.
The match was delayed in the first minute when Beitar fans threw fireworks and flares on the field. The Charleroi goalkeeper was later struck by an object thrown from the stands.
Beitar also faces sanctions for visiting fans tearing down fences.
UEFA said Charleroi fans made racist gestures, which reportedly were Nazi salutes. The club faces further sanctions for failing to segregate fans.
The European organization said its disciplinary panel will judge the case on Thursday, hours ahead of Beitar hosting the return match.
Beitar took another hit on Wednesday, when its primary sponsor canceled its sponsorship agreement. The funding given to the team by investment house iTrader had totaled NIS 1 million ($260,000).
On Friday, team owner Eli Tabib said he was putting the club up for sale because he felt ashamed of supporters’ hooliganism in Belgium.
“I am ashamed… I have decided to end my involvement with Israeli soccer and am returning to the United States… I will appoint a trustee to run the club until somebody is willing to buy it,” Tabib said in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the actions of the fans, saying Friday that a handful of rioters could not be allowed to tarnish Israel’s image.
The prime minister spoke with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, with the two agreeing to explore measures that can be taken against those responsible for Thursday’s events.
The Times of Israel Community.