Soccer: Betar J'lem punished for fans' racist chants

Team to play its next home match at Teddy Stadium in front of empty stands.

By ALLON SINAI
betar fans 88.298 (photo credit: Asaf Kliger [file])
betar fans 88.298
(photo credit: Asaf Kliger [file])
Betar Jerusalem will play its next home match at Teddy Stadium in front of empty stands after an Israeli Football Association tribunal found the club's fans guilty of racist abuse during the Toto Cup semifinals at National Stadium in Ramat Gan two weeks ago. Jerusalem supporters chanted insults against the prophet Mohammed during Sakhnin's semifinal match against Bnei Yehuda while they were waiting for the start of their team's game against Maccabi Haifa. Ironically, Betar's next home game is against Sakhnin on January 12 . "We don't accept this punishment and we plan to appeal," Betar spokesperson Oded Zargari told Betar's official Web site on Wednesday. "We think that there's no reason that our fans, who behave well at Teddy, should be punished. The abuse was shouted at a stadium at which we as a management had no control." "If the IFA feels that 'Mohammed is dead' is a racist chant than we think that they should also take action against the Sakhnin fans shouting 'Allah Akbar'. We hope the IFA's Supreme Court will overturn this decision."