Five days after the events of the Haifa derby and the difficult report of referee Liran Liani, the demand of the Football Association’s prosecutor, lawyer Nir Reshef, came to prosecute no less than nine players and two other officials. And these are the names: San Menachem, Iyad Habashi, Dolev Haziza and Bogdan Planich from Maccabi Haifa; Gal Erel, Eden Ben Best, Dor Malul, Alon Turgeman and Nisso Capiloto from Hapoel Haifa.
In addition, Assaf Ben Dov, CEO of Maccabi Haifa, and Danny Bibbs, Hapoel Haifa’s fitness coach, will also be prosecuted following the same ugly brawl at the end of the derby. The hearing itself will be held this coming Wednesday.
The indictment filed by Adv. Reshef states: “Immediately after the final whistle, Defendant 1 (San Menachem) provoked the Hapoel Haifa players’ bench while making hand gestures and shouting at the Hapoel Haifa staff ‘home, you are a bunch of rags’. As a result, Defendant 6 (Eden Ben-Best) burst towards him, clinging to him, but actors and officials separated the two. “During the riot, the players of the accused teams were seen, as well as the officials who were rioting, pushing, cursing, pulling shirts and some of them were even trying to hit each other.”
The indictment was later revealed: “Defendant 10, the general manager of Maccabi Haifa (Assaf Ben Dov), went down to the lawn despite the ban on being on it at the end of the game and was seen pushing Gal Erel. “Alon Turgeman, who watched this, came running, pulled defendant 10, knocked him to the ground and took an active part in the fight.”
“Within seconds a mass riot began” – Liani’s report
Liran Liani filled out the refereeing report at the end of the Haifa derby, in which he described the events from his point of view. “With the final whistle, Maccabi Haifa player San Menachem ran defiantly and provocatively, shouting at the Hapoel Haifa bench players: ‘Home, you are a bunch Of rags’. As a result, Eden Ben Best ran towards him in an aggressive and threatening manner, and the two began to quarrel. “Within seconds, a mass riot broke out on the lawn, involving players and officials from both teams.”
After naming the players, Liani went on to write: “These players took an active part in the brawl – rioting, cursing, strangling, pulling shirts, beating and trying to hit each other, all around them with many players and team members, who tried to separate the commotion.”
“During the commotion, Maccabi Haifa general manager Assaf Ben Dov, who was thrown to the field by Hapoel Haifa player Alon Turgeman, came down to the field. Assaf decided to take an active part in the fight, and was seen pushing with his hands; while Alon continued to fight in the players’ tunnel area.” .
“In addition, Hapoel Haifa’s fitness coach Danny Bibbs seems to be pushing and trying to punch his fists on the lawn, as well as in the players ‘tunnel area. The commotion soon spread to the players’ tunnel area, with the same players continuing to quarrel, riot and punch everywhere.”
“Only with the intervention of the security and police forces could the brawl be taken over and brought to an end,” Liani concluded.