EJP | News | Belgian football player denies anti-Semitic insult

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Belgian football player denies anti-Semitic insult

Updated: 16/Nov/2005 19:06

Sam Lavan

Photo: Royal Antwerp Football Club

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An Israeli football player, who was insulted by another player during a recent match of the Belgian top competition, has apparently changed his initial idea to lodge a complaint.

Sam Lavan, the 23-year-old former Betar Jerusalem player who is now playing for the Belgian club of Antwerp, was reportedly the victim of an anti-Semitic remark by Patrick Goots, veteran striker of the rival club of Mechelen, during a recent game between the two clubs.

According to the local newspaper “Gazet Van Antwerpen”, who quoted the Israeli player, during the match Goots said to him: “Not enough Jews were gassed during the war.”

Official complaint

An angry Lavan declared afterwards that he was planning to introduce a complaint to the Belgian Center for Equal Chances or the football association.

“I will first speak to my club management but I am considering to lodge a complaint against the Mechelen player,” he said initially.

According to the press, Lavan’s club was rather “cautious” about his player’s assumption but left him the initiative.

“I received a lot of support from the Antwerp Jewish community,” a shocked Lavan was quoted as saying in the press.

He added: “Maybe we should pay Goots a free trip to Israel so he can see Holocaust memorials and look at what Jews have realized in this country.”

“It’s the first time such thing happened to me since I am playing in Belgium,” the Israeli added.

Complete denial

Asked to comment Lavan’s declarations, 39-year-old Goots told EJP: “I swear on the head of my children that I never said what Lavan pretends.”

“I understand that he is angry but the only thing I said during a commotion between players was ‘stupid Jewish player.’

“Many things are said during a game,” he added. “Is this more serious than shouting bastard?” the veteran player added.

He denied any anti-Semitic comment.

Goots said he contacted one of his lawyer friends, who is a supporter of the Antwerp club, to study the possibility of meeting the Israeli player.

According to a well informed source, Lavan has decided not to lodge a complaint. “This issue has been solved,” the Antwerp club said, refusing to make additional comment.

The Israeli player could not be contacted for comment.