Claims that Legia Warsaw fans attacked Israeli football team withdrawn

Legia said the Simon Wiesenthal Center apologised over accusations that its fans last Wednesday attacked players from Israel’s Hapoel Petah Tikva club near Płońsk, central Poland, after a game between Hapoel and another Polish team, MKS Ciechanów.

Police had earlier said that two workers from the Israeli team were injured in the attack and one man suspected of theft and battery was detained on Monday.

“While the [Simon Wiesenthal Center] remains deeply concerned about the anti-Semitic attack against members of an Israeli football team following a recent match with MKS Ciechanów in Poland, despite claims by the victims, it now appears that no one connected to the team Legia Warsaw or its supporters were involved,” the center’s Dr Shimon Samuels said.

“The center apologises to the team and withdraws its call for football authorities to sanction Legia Warsaw.”

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, one of the world's largest Jewish rights organisations, on Thursday called for disciplinary measures against Legia Warsaw.

Samuels at the time said: “Anti-Semitism is hardly new in Poland, but this brutal attack must have consequences.”

The Warsaw club said that its fans were at the time of the match on Wednesday evening busy supporting their own club in a return game against FC Astana.

According to Poland’s PAP news agency, the incident is being investigated by a district prosecutor's office. (vb/pk)

Source: PAP