Hapoel Hadera players warming up/Shlomi Gabai
A serious incident occurred today (Saturday) during Hapoel Hadera's match against Bnei Sakhnin (0:1) in the Premier League, when Bnei Sakhnin fans disrespected the national anthem and booed contemptuously at Menashe Zalka, the Hapoel Hadera footballer who made headlines in recent months following his reserve service.
Elad Madmon, Haim Silves, Menashe Zalka Hapoel Hadera men with the Israeli flag/Shlomi Gabbai
Watch Sakhnin fans mock the anthem
It all started, as mentioned, before the opening song, when "Hatikva" was played in the stadium, and Sakhnin fans continued to sing and cheer their team in a demonstrative, defiant manner.
Then, when Zeleka came on as a substitute in the second half (63rd minute), the Sakhnin fans started chanting against him - and again, this was also done in a deliberate way, when no other player received special curses from Sakhnin fans, and only Zeleka, an IDF soldier who served in the reserves on the border The North, received chants of "Zalka's mother *Vena" and boos every time he touched the ball.
In the end, Hapoel Hadera beat Sakhnin 0:1 with a goal by Elad Madmon in the 97th minute. Zalka, in a symbolic act, celebrated on the grass while wrapped in the Israeli flag .
More on the same topic:
Menashe Zalka
Hapoel Hadera
Bnei Sakhnin