A fresh crack has opened in Ironi Tiberias's banned-infusions affair, with fitness coach Shlomi Vidraro directly contradicting the version of events given by head coach Eliran Houdda in his testimony to investigators, ONE reported.
The dispute sits at the heart of the case that has engulfed the Ligat Ha'al club since early July, when the National Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended Houdda, five first-team players, technical director Chen Sol and Vidraro himself over suspected banned intravenous infusions administered to Tiberias players, following a complaint from Ashdod that accused Tiberias of using illegal treatments around the playoff race.
In his own investigation testimony, Houdda said he had checked whether the infusions were permissible before they were carried out, and that the assurance came back to him secondhand. According to his account, Sol told him: "I spoke with Shlomi, there's approval." Houdda added that he had proposed the procedure be carried out at a hospital for proper protocol, but was told it could only be done on the club's own premises.
Vidraro tells a completely different story. ONE reported that the fitness coach produced a message he sent to Sol at the time, warning explicitly against the treatment: "Chen, I checked now, don't get involved, there are WADA matters and that's my recommendation."
The contradiction matters because Houdda, according to Walla Sport, is the figure the anti-doping agency views as most culpable in the affair — facing an 18-to-24-month ban if he accepts a plea deal, or as much as four years if he contests the charges and loses. Any evidence undercutting his defence that the infusions were cleared in advance could weigh heavily against him.
Tiberias itself has denied wrongdoing throughout, insisting the players received a legal saline solution within permitted volumes and under professional supervision. Club owner Aria Kalmenson has gone further, describing the case as manufactured pressure from rivals who wanted the club relegated.
The stakes extend well beyond the individuals named. Reports on the case have detailed a possible six-point deduction for Tiberias next season and restrictions on the club's activity in the January transfer window, on top of whatever sanctions the anti-doping tribunal ultimately imposes on Houdda, Sol, Vidraro and the suspended players.
For now the case remains unresolved, but Vidraro's account — if it holds up — leaves Houdda's version of who signed off on the infusions looking far shakier than it did a fortnight ago.
