The director of the Premier League last week issued a letter in which the chairman of the league, Shmuel Frenkel, called on all players and team members in the league to get vaccinated. However, a check of the “Sports Channel” reveals a complex picture: The vast majority of foreign players prefer not to get vaccinated at this point.
As a representative sample of the teams, it can be seen that in Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv – none of the foreigners have been vaccinated yet. On the other hand, at Hapoel Holon, all the team members and the team have been vaccinated, except for four, each for his own reasons. At Hapoel B’Shlosha, for example, only one foreigner has been vaccinated so far. This trend is reflected in almost all league teams.
The reasons for those who do not want to at this stage are not uniform and complex for several reasons. Officials in most league teams say the main reason is mental-cultural: While Israel is one of the few countries to be vaccinated to such a high degree, in the US, the country of origin of most foreigners, the vaccine is not on the public agenda as it happens in Israel, so players do not feel The sense of urgency like their Israeli friends.
Another aspect is the fact that most players, who are in their twenties, feel healthy and strong, and therefore do not find it appropriate to put into their body something that their perception may disrupt their natural resilience. Another, simpler reason is that the players have not yet taken the time to think about the issue, and they are less exposed to the many reports in the Israeli media about the importance of the vaccine.
As far as Maccabi Tel Aviv is concerned, for example, the players have not yet been vaccinated for the above reasons, but more a matter of schedule and side effects: there is a high probability that after the second dose there will be not easy side effects, such as weakness and fever, and the team can not afford Will be disabled for a few days after receiving the second dose.The club say that if and when we treat the players, it will have to be done gradually, to disperse the risks of side effects and not vaccinate them all at once.
The league administration is aware of the situation and is making efforts to increase awareness among foreigners. The league may need to step up in terms of information, and perhaps recruit a character the players can count on, one that will explain the need for the vaccine and the science behind it. The principal is examining this option.
The manager said: “We have been working lately by informing the teams and encouraging people to get vaccinated against the corona virus. After checking with each team who has not been vaccinated, tomorrow a personal letter will be sent by the league’s chairman, Shmuel Frenkel, to all those players. He is not only endangering himself – but endangering his teammates and team and endangering the rest of the league. “To the extent that players still refuse to be vaccinated, we are considering requiring these players to present a negative corona test every 72 hours so that they can play.”