An unusual and disturbing incident took place Thursday night following Hapoel Tel Aviv’s loss to Panathinaikos at the OAKA arena during a EuroLeague game.
Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yannay was assaulted by a local fan who had been sitting courtside. According to Yannay, the fan approached him from behind, shoved him and said, “Move from here, you dirty Jew,” while pointing at the kippah on his head.
Yannay’s security guard immediately alerted Panathinaikos officials, who responded by revoking the fan’s season ticket and banning him from all future games for life. The Greek club also called police to the scene, and a formal complaint was filed against the fan.
“There is no place for antisemitism in sports,” Yannay said. “I thank Panathinaikos management for their swift and decisive response.”
On the court, Hapoel Tel Aviv saw a three-game winning streak come to an end. The run included a victory earlier this week against Red Star Belgrade. Despite the loss, Hapoel continues to lead the EuroLeague standings with a 12-5 record.
In the next round, Dimitris Itoudis’ team will face another road test against Bayern Munich, which is ranked 18th with five wins this season.