Moshe Zuares, the president of the Israel Football Association (IFA), revealed that an investigation is underway that reveals a match-fixing scandal in the Northern League A, one of the two conferences that make up the third division of Israeli football.
More than half of the league's clubs are suspected of being involved, and the police have been asked to intervene to clarify the facts.
Six months ago, the IFA hired two private investigative firms to gather evidence of match-fixing and collaboration between teams and officials, and based on the findings, the body called for the suspension of around 40 players, coaches and club owners.
Among those involved is Ahmad Saba'a, current coach of MS Tira and former Maccabi Netanya striker, who was the top scorer in the first division in the 2011-2012 season.
Speaking at a press conference, Zuares said it was a “sad day for football, but necessary.” Zuares requested the suspension of the Liga A Norte matches, but acknowledged that this would require a judicial decision, as the IFA does not have the authority to cancel them unilaterally.