Israeli Soccer Players Injured In Attack By Fans In Poland
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
WARSAW, Poland (JTA) — Two people were injured after a group of soccer fans attacked Israeli soccer club Hapoel Petah Tikva in Poland.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening in Sochocin after the Israelis won an exhibition game against MKS Ciechanów by a score of 2-0.
The match was secured by the police. When it was over, a group of masked soccer fans broke onto the field trying to beat the members of the Israeli team and its crew.
MKS Ciechanów condemned the incident and stressed that it and its fans have nothing to do with it.
“First and foremost, we emphasize that our Club regrets the whole situation and strongly condemns the behavior of the perpetrators of this perilous incident, but at the same time we stress that none of the members of our Club-related community had anything to do with the whole situation,” read a statement issued by the club.
The club said the attackers were fans of the Legia Warsaw team.
The Israelis emphasize that the action was planned because attackers waited until police had left the area.
Police from Plonsk and Radom are investigating the case. “The information provided to the police shows that in the area adjacent to the hotel where the Israeli team was staying, a group of masked people rushed to two members of the team, beat them and ran away. The victims suffered minor abrasions,” read the statement on the police’s website.
The Israeli Ministry of Culture and Sport said it is working with authorities in Poland in order to find those responsible for the attack and see that they are published.
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