ISTANBUL: An Israeli soccer player accused an Egyptian opponent of deliberately fouling him after a 90th-minute tackle led to a brawl and the suspension of a Turkish league match.
Trabzonspor defender Ayman Mohamed Abdelaziz fouled Sivasspor striker Pini Felix Balili during Sunday s match, leaving the Israeli player lying on the field in pain for several minutes.
Abdelaziz wasn t looking for the ball – he was looking for my leg, Balili told Israeli Army Radio on Monday. Between Arabs and Jews what s happening isn t new. Every game I ve played against him, he has a kind of war against me. But again, this is soccer, that s how it is.
Abdelaziz told the state-run Anatolia news agency that he didn t have any ulterior motives for the foul.
It wasn t a deliberate action, Abdelaziz said. It was a normal foul and the referee punished me with a yellow card.
Hosts Trabzonspor were leading 1-0 when the brawl started. Players from both teams were involved and some fans attacked Balili s teammates. It wasn t immediately decided whether the result would stand, whether there would be a forfeit or whether the game would be replayed.
Police detained two fans after the fight, private Dogan news agency said.
