Blow to Hapoel Haifa: FIFA bans the club from making transfers for a year

FIFA has banned Hapoel Haifa from making transfers for a year and fined it €350,000, following a dispute over the transfer of Ofek Biton from Polissya Zhytomyr. The club rejects the claims and has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

FIFA has imposed a one-year transfer ban on Hapoel Haifa and fined the club €350,000, following a legal dispute over the transfer of midfielder Ofek Biton from Ukrainian club Polissya Zhytomyr. The Israeli club denies any involvement in breaching the player's contract, arguing that the engagement began only after Biton announced his departure on August 18, while initial contacts started on September 1. Hapoel Haifa has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne and requested a stay of the ban pending a decision. The club intends to rely on the precedent of the Lassana Diarra case from 2024, in which the European Court of Justice ruled that parts of FIFA's transfer regulations are incompatible with EU law.