Questions over the sheikh’s finances have halted the proposal of a 50 percent purchase in Beitur Jerusalem.
Getting a 50 percent stake in Israel’s Jerusalem Beitar Football Club with the United Arab Emiratos royal has been frozen due to questions about the sheikh’s finances.
The club, which has earned a reputation for the racism of its fans and its “death to Arabs” messages, said on Thursday the Rights Movement Committee of the Israeli Football Federation, which must approve the sale, , more documentation to proceed with the purchase.
The team had said that Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, has pledged to invest 300 million shekels ($ 92m) in the club over the next 10 years.
But in the last few weeks, questions have arisen about the sheikh’s true wealth.
The Marker, an Israeli business news website, reported last month that a financial investigation into a sheikh commissioned by the Israeli football federation revealed several inactive and financial disorder companies.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Nahyan, right, and owner of Jerusalem Beitar Moshe Hogeg in Dubai [File: Beitar Jerusalem via Reuters]
The report said club owner Moshe Hogeg had planned to fly to Dubai to consult with the sheikh but was unable to travel due to the recent closure of Israeli airport as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
“We would prefer to withdraw the application, and replace it with a new one,” he said. “The reports about the agreement are false.”
The headline was made in December amid business deals between Israel and the UAE after a move to establish formal diplomatic relations in September.
It was also seen as a turning point for a club whose fanbase has become associated with racism.
Beitar, closely associated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, is one of the toughest clubs in the country, winning 13 awards and counting Israeli presidents and prime ministers among their fans.
Al-Nahyan’s and Hogeg are signing an agreement in Dubai [File: Beitar Jerusalem via Reuters]
But in the last few years it has attracted attention for being the only major Israeli club that has never signed an Arab player. Israel’s Arab minority makes up about 20 percent of the population, and Arab players participate in the country’s competitive teams and national squad.
Club officials have previously said their hands were tied to a solid base of fans who had a huge impact on staffing decisions.
Hogeg, who made millions of dollars trading cryptocurrency, told The Associated Press news agency at the end of last year that he hoped to remove the racist stain from the team while changing to a football line with a diversified line.
“I love football, and I thought it was an opportunity to buy this club and correct this racist problem. And then I could do something bigger than football, ”he said.