Thursday, July 28, 2011

Chelsea object to 'antisemitic' abuse of Yossi Benayoun in Malaysia

Chelsea have lodged a formal complaint with the Malaysian Football Association alleging that the club's Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun was the subject of antisemitic abuse during last week's friendly in Kuala Lumpur.

Large sections of the 84,980 crowd at the Bukit Jalil national stadium booed and jeered Benayoun's every touch in Chelsea's 1-0 victory over a Malaysian XI. The 30-year-old, one of the first Israelis to play in the country, did not complain at the time and was substituted at the interval along with all the starting XI. Malaysia, which is 60% Muslim and strongly supports the Palestinian people, does not recognise Israel and maintains no diplomatic ties with the state.

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