Israeli captain quits international football
Eran Zahavi announces retirement after being booed off pitch during 1-0 home loss to Macedonia
Andrew Sherwood is the Jewish News Sport and Community Editor
Eran Zahavi has announced his retirement from international football – just 24 hours after being booed off the pitch, which resulted in him throwing off his armband.
The midfielder, who plays his football in China for Guangzhou R&F, was singled out by home fans during Saturday night’s 1-0 defeat by Macedonia, who booed him every time he touched the ball, which resulted in him throwing off his armband.
Apologising after the match to the people who “love” him, he went on to say that he saw no reason to say he was sorry to “the fans that were at the stadium and that he doesn’t even regret what happened.”
The Israeli FA suspended him indefinitely, starting with Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier in Italy, before Zahavi took the matter out of their hands, releasing his own statement, which said: “After a day of much thinking, conversations with my family and the people who have accompanied me throughout my career, I’d like to spare everyone all the committees, commentaries, columns and the unfair trials I am being put through.
“I decided to go with what I feel is right, it is important for me that people know I always gave my all to the national team, I would like to announce my retirement from the national team!”
Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev had earlier also released a statement where she said Zahavi had “trounced the values by which we try to educate future generations.” It was thought the IFA were to hand him a one-year suspension.
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