Tel Aviv Derby abandoned after player sent off for hitting pitch invader
Things got way, way out of hand.
The Tel Aviv Derby got a bit frightening when a Hapoel Tel Aviv fan stormed the pitch with the intent of attacking Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Eran Zahavi. Unsurprisingly, the man was: A) Not wearing a shirt. B) Visibly intoxicated.
Zahavi did what many people do when being attacked: he defended himself. First he pushed the attacker away twice. Then, when the man came back again, Zahavi kicked him. Unfortunately, the sport’s rules do not properly take into account “a madman was attacking me and trying to do me harm while the stewards stood by and watched” and any aggressive behavior towards a fan is considered a red card offense. So Zahavi got a red card.
Zahavi was a natural target for the Hapoel fans because he used to play for the club and, after a stay with Palermo, joined rivals Maccabi. But no fan rivalry should ever result in this.
After being sent off, Zahavi urged his teammates to walk off the pitch with him. Hapoel fans reportedly started becoming more aggressive, so the referee abandoned the match. There is no word yet on what the FA will do now.
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