Beitar Jerusalem, the most racist football club in Israel...
...gets an Arab owner
MATCH DAY at Teddy stadium, home of Beitar Jerusalem, can get pretty nasty. Supporters of the football club proudly sing about how it is “the most racist team” in Israel. They scream epithets, such as “terrorist”, at the Arabs who play for opposing squads. Though Arabs make up 21% of Israel’s population, Beitar Jerusalem has never itself fielded one, in keeping with fans’ claim to be “forever pure”. After the club signed two Muslim players from Chechnya in 2013, a group of fans burned down its offices. When one of the Chechens scored his first goal, many Beitar supporters walked out of the stadium. The players soon moved on.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The most racist club in Israel...”
From the December 12th 2020 edition
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