Maccabi CEO Martin Bain on last night's derby events: "A small minority spoil it for the vast majority"
Owing to the events that occurred last night forcing the Tel Aviv derby to be abandoned after just 44 minutes, Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club tonight held a press conference attended by the club's CEO Martin Bain, head coach Pako Ayesteran and team captain Sheran Yeini. Mr Bain began by explaining the purpose of the gathering: "We have called the press conference because we believe it was important to sit as a united front with the coach, with our captain, because Maccabi Tel Aviv finds itself in a difficult situation. Nobody at the football club can accept violence, nobody at the football club will accept anti-social behaviour. And we have spent the day today looking at a number of aspects, both on and off the field. With regards to last night's events there have been a lot of words, there's been a lot of emotion but fundamentally the game was stopped by a hooligan. The hooligan ruined the game".
Asked if he felt that Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club should be brought to court as a result of last night's events the CEO responded: "I think it is very very disappointing that clubs can face fines, they can face sanctions, because of a small minority who spoil it for the vast majority. Why should a club such as this club face fines and sanctions because someone, through a moment of madness, has now cost this club in both reputation and possible sanctions?". The Scot was also asked if the club owner, Mitch Goldhar, shared his sentiments: "I did speak with Mitch. He has the same opinion as the three of us this evening at the press conference. He's extremely disappointed that the events of last night have tarnished not only the name of this football club but the whole of Israeli football. And it's extremely disappointing. Fundamentally the issue, while the football clubs obviously have the issue to deal with, fundamentally the issue is not just the football clubs' issue, because this football club in particular, and I obviously know, goes to great lengths to make sure that the safety and the security of our supporters is the uppermost. And last night we had our own security in with our fans".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utt-IEttIh4&feature=youtu.be
Mr Bain also addressed the criticism of Eran Zahavi as the one responsible for the events that followed: "I think it's quite clear to anybody who has watched the video and sees a hooligan jump into the field of play and threaten a player, regardless what team it is, is the point that fundamentally is the issue. Obviously we have spoken with Eran today. I'll let his colleague speak on behalf of how Eran feels. But Eran did nothing different today than he has done before".
As for the confrontation last night between an unnamed journalist and Maccabi sports director Jordi Cruyff, Martin Bain responded: "I've not seen the video but I've heard the interview an hour ago and I think Jordi made it quite clear that in the heat of the moment there was a journalist trying to put a microphone into somewhere where he shouldn't have and I think Jordi did say he had made an apology to the journalist in question". There was also a question about reports that someone at Maccabi might have given the start sign for Maccabi fans invading the pitch. Bain: "This morning we looked at the reports that you refer to and I spoke to the individual involved and I was assured that the reports were wrong, that what was written was not true and I have no reason to doubt the answer he gave me. For Maccabi that will be the end of the matter".
Maccabi head coach Pako Ayesteran also offered his view of the derby events: "I listen, I listen and I listen some more. The question is that you guys, all of you, the media and the supporters in general, you are running away from the main fact. And the main fact is that somebody jumped on the pitch and a player was attacked by a hooligan. This is the main point. And the rest of what happened was as a consequence of that. For me it's no time to talk and talk and talk. It's the time to act and to act with responsibility and common sense. Responsibility for what? Responsibility to be sure that the league continues without any interference. Secondly, responsibility for what? Responsibility to be sure and put in place the right conditions that keep the safety of the main part of football, that are the players, the staff, the referees. Common sense. Common sense for what? For not blaming the victim. For here the victim is a player that was attacked in the middle of the game". He added that when he says player he means any participant in the match and not just Eran Zahavi. "What would happen if the referee had been attacked, would take the same attack that Eran Zahavi took yesterday? Because maybe he took the wrong decision and this decision was provocative as well. I make a substitution and someone jumps on the pitch and tries to attack me. Is that a reason to attack me? In this case I think that the main point here is that a player was attacked in the middle of the game". And he left in no doubt that it is the referee who is in charge: "He's the only one who has the right to stop the game. Not football coaches, not sport directors, no-one has the right to stop any game, just the referee. It probably was the right decision".
Team captain Sheran Yeini: "My function here is to support Eran. Not just for me, not just for the Maccabi Tel Aviv players, I believe I speak for every football player in Israel. Attacking a player on the pitch and threatening his safety, that's crossing a red line. Today it's Eran Zahavi, tomorrow it could be a player from Netanya, or Acre, or Marmorek or any other team. So far we're concerned we stand as a united front who believe this is a travesty. Eran reacted in a way all of us can stand behind, he didn't attack the supporter. And by the way, the players' union also stand behind the player and they'll deliver their statements as well, tomorrow if I'm not mistaken. It can't be right that the interpretation of the regulation prevents a player from defending himself if someone is trying to hit him. That wants looking in to".
Photograph: Nir Keider
