March 4, 2013
Beitar Jerusalem fans walk out on Muslim player’s goal
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Zaur Sadayev, a Chechen Muslim player who was recruited by Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem, practices during a training session in Jerusalem on Feb. 8. Photo by REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Hundreds of fans of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team walked out of the stadium in the wake of the first goal scored by a Muslim player.
The walkout occurred Sunday night during a game against Maccabi Netanya, which ended in a 1-1 tie. The team has lost four of its past five games.
Forward Zaur Sadayev, a Chechen Muslim who recently joined the team, scored in the second half of the game. He was cheered by the majority of the Beitar Jerusalem fans that remained in the stands.
Two players from the Chechen Terek Gorzny team joined Beitar Jerusalem at the beginning of February, amid protests from nationalist fans.
In recent weeks, fans have been removed from games for chanting anti-Arab and racist slogans.
