Israel's football disciplinary tribunal has drawn a hard line under the Ironi Tiberias banned-infusions case, warning the club, its former officials and the federation's own prosecutor that there will be no room to stretch the calendar as the hearing gets under way.
Presiding judge Noam Liubin, who chairs a three-judge panel handling the case, said the court "does not intend to allow this case to drag on indefinitely," according to ONE. He went further, stating that no deviations from the established timelines would be permitted "except for circumstances related to the court or extraordinary situations alone."
The panel's first concrete order was procedural but pointed: the Israel Football Association's prosecutor must hand over a clear, organised physical copy of the incriminating evidence by the following Monday, giving the defence a firm date to work against from the outset.
The case has been classified for complex proceedings, which is why it is being heard by three judges rather than a single adjudicator — a reflection of both the volume of material involved and the seriousness of the allegations against the club.
The tribunal's involvement follows an indictment filed this week against six people connected to Tiberias: head coach Eliran Hodeda, club manager Gabriel Cohen, fitness coach Shlomi Vadraro, technical manager Chen Sol, suspended owner Michael "Micki" Bitan, and staff member Aviv Jibli.
The charges include aiding the use of banned drugs and stimulants in aggravating circumstances, breaching the Israel Football Association's medical regulations, and non-compliance with a ruling of a judicial body, with additional allegations touching on the club's conduct once the affair came to light.
The case centres on events after Tiberias's 1-1 draw with Hapoel Haifa on April 29, 2026. Bitan is alleged to have approached Hodeda and proposed reviving fatigued players with intravenous infusions ahead of a decisive lower-playoff match against MS Ashdod — a game Tiberias went on to lose 0-3, deepening the club's fight against relegation from Ligat Ha'al.
Ironi Tiberias has pushed back publicly on the case. "A lot of speculation, without facts or evidence," the club said in response to the indictment, according to Walla Sport.
With the schedule now locked in and the evidentiary deadline looming next week, the tribunal has signalled it wants this case resolved on its own terms and its own clock — not the parties'.
