Hapoel Haifa Appeals FIFA Transfer Ban and €350,000 Fine to CAS
FIFA has slapped Hapoel Haifa with a one-year transfer ban and a €350,000 fine over the signing of midfielder Ofek Biton. The Israeli club has appealed the decision to CAS.
FIFA has imposed a one-year transfer ban on Hapoel Haifa and ordered the club to pay €350,000 in compensation to Ukrainian side FC Polissya Zhytomyr following a dispute over the transfer of midfielder Ofek Biton. In response, Hapoel Haifa announced it has appealed the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
The penalty stems from allegations that the Israeli club was involved in the termination of Biton's contract in Ukraine. According to Hapoel Haifa, the club submitted its appeal on Monday, alongside a request to freeze the registration ban until a final decision is reached. A similar request was also submitted to FIFA in hopes of resolving the matter before the upcoming January transfer window.
"The club's position is clear—Hapoel Haifa did not approach Ofek Biton or have any contact with him before he terminated his contract with Polissya and returned to Israel, signing him only after receiving written confirmation that he was a free agent," the club said in an official statement. Hapoel Haifa maintains that the FIFA ruling lacks concrete evidence and relies entirely on speculation.
Biton joined Hapoel Haifa in September 2025 following a contractual dispute with the Ukrainian club. While media reports indicate that Biton notified Polissya of his departure on August 18, talks with Hapoel Haifa did not begin until September 1. The outcome of the CAS appeal will be crucial for the club's squad planning ahead of the January 2027 transfer window.
