Soccer player injured after allegedly being attacked

Haifa midfielder Ali Khatib taken to hospital after Petah Tikva’s goalkeeping coach allegedly kicked him, before being kicked while on the ground.

By ALLON SINAI
ALI KHATIB and coach Tal Banin 370 (photo credit: Hapoel Haifa website)
ALI KHATIB and coach Tal Banin 370
(photo credit: Hapoel Haifa website)
A brawl broke out Saturday night at the soccer match between Maccabi Petah Tikva and Hapoel Haifa, at the end of which Haifa midfielder Ali Khatib was taken to hospital.
Khatib was allegedly headbutted by Petah Tikva’s goalkeeping coach before being kicked while on the ground by a man supposedly connected to the Petah Tikva management. The two men were detained and remanded to custody until Monday at 4 p.m.
Several of Khatib’s teeth were broken and he lost consciousness for several minutes before being taken to hospital. He was released overnight Saturday.
Petah Tikva’s Danny Preda, as well as Haifa’s Gal Arel and Stefan Denkovic, were sent off for their part in the melee, with Petah Tikva also set to face further punishment from the Israel Football Association after referee Asaf Keinan files his report of the incident.
“Everyone has had enough of these types of incidents,” Haifa coach Tal Banin said. “This should not be part of sports. I just hope that Khatib will recover.”