Hapoel Jerusalem chairman to investigate match-fixing claims

Suspicions arise that some Hapoel players fixed National League match against Hakoach Amidar Ramat Gan.

By ALLON SINAI
victor yona 88 (photo credit: )
victor yona 88
(photo credit: )
Hapoel Jerusalem chairman Victor Yona has decided to look into the suspicions that some of his players may have fixed the team's National League match on Saturday against Hakoach Amidar Ramat Gan. On Monday Yona filed a complaint with an investigation company associated with the Israel Football Association. Jerusalem lost to Hakoach 4-0 in the game which guaranteed the winners promotion to the Premier League. Yona said after Saturday's match he was approached by a man who claimed that two of Jerusalem's players had fixed the match. "We hope the entire story is not true," Yona said earlier in the week. "Unfortunately I have too much evidence that some of my players rigged the match, but we most stay calm and do all we can to get to the bottom of this." Yona gathered his players for a team meeting on Sunday and gave them until 6pm to own up. No player stepped forward and Yona has decided to hire an investigation company to check if there's any truth in the allegations. "As far as I'm concerned everybody's innocent until proven guilty," Hapoel coach Yair Asayag said.