Besiktas to face Hapoel Tel Aviv in EuroCup quarterfinals, but the Turkish team has encountered an unpleasant surprise.
Namely, a player from the Israeli team was suspended last month by the Israeli Federation after illegal substances were found in his sample. The sample was from December, and the results were only announced at the end of February. The Istanbul team was taken aback by the decision, as he was suspended for 21 days in the Israeli league but not in the EuroCup. Therefore, they issued an official statement demanding action from the FIBA board and the EuroLeague board.
“It is unacceptable that such punishment was imposed for such an act, which is incompatible with the spirit of sports and announced just a few days before our club’s competition, and for only 21 days, which is quite low compared to other clubs. This announced penalty casts a shadow on deterring such behavior, which is contrary to the spirit of sports, and creates a situation that may pave the way for such behavior.
Furthermore, the fact that the coach of Hapoel Tel Aviv stated in an interview that the sample was taken in December but the results were announced in February raises questions on this matter. We hope that FIBA and the EuroLeague board will make a fair decision regarding the situation at hand, taking into account previous precedents. We want to emphasize that we will monitor the situation to the end and use all available legal assistance.”