An Emirati businessman has reportedly expressed an interest in investing in an Israeli soccer team, according to media reports this week.
Beitar Jerusalem F.C. owner Moshe Hogeg has received the offer following the normalization agreement announced between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, sources with close knowledge of the affair said.
Hogeg has also reportedly received an invention to meet the interested investors in Abu Dhabi next week.
It was not clear whether the Emirati businessman wanted to purchase the club from Hogeg or buy shares in it.
However, the reports came as a surprise to some regarding the team in question, which is known for its links to the Israeli far-right, and a section of its supporters is synonymous with anti-Arab sentiment among Israeli hardliners.
The club has never fielded an Arab player.
Beitar's hardcore fans, known as "La Familia," court controversy by regularly chanting "death to Arabs" during matches.
They have also chanted the name of Yigal Amir, the far-right extremist who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.
In 2013, the club's signing of two Muslim players originating from Chechnya sparked tensions and threats of violence.
Since buying Beitar in 2018, Hogeg has routinely made efforts to confront and stamp out racism among the fan base.