Ataa Jaber’s winding road to Palestine’s national football team

Palestine’s Ataa Jaber, right, and Indonesia’s Asnawi Mangkualam Bahar fight for the ball during an international friendly between Indonesia and Palestine at Gelora Bung Tomo stadium in Surabaya on June 14, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 17 September 2023
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Ataa Jaber’s winding road to Palestine’s national football team

  • The 28-year-old midfielder, who plays for Neftchi Baku in Azerbaijan, had represented and captained Israel at U-21 level

Nationality switches are common in football, but very few might be as impactful as Ataa Jaber’s decision to pursue an international career with Palestine.

The midfielder, who currently plies his trade in Neftchi Baku in Azerbaijan’s topflight, made his Palestine debut in June.

Al-Fida’i has been trending in an upward direction over the past decade. In January, the team will compete at their third straight Asian Cup finals having first qualified for the 2015 edition.

Palestine celebrated the 25th anniversary of their first official game in July, but that short tenure among FIFA’s recognized nations belies rich history with the game. The first football match played in the country was in 1908 when the teams of Rawdat Al-Ma’aref and St. George’s School faced each other.

Twenty years later, Mandatory Palestine would join FIFA and although regarded as a precursor for the Israeli national team, the federation was only allowed to join thanks to the presence of Ibrahim Nusseibeh — a Palestinian and the only qualified referee in the country.

When Palestine was finally allowed to join FIFA after 70 years in international wilderness and multiple rejected applications, there was a decision to make about how the national team programs would be staffed.

The Palestinian Football Association decided to support its nascent league by calling up its best players to represent the nation. At the time, there were many Palestinian footballers (descendants of those Palestinians who managed to avoid the ethnic cleansing campaigns of 1947-48) playing in the first and second tiers of the Israeli football leagues, but depending on an external — and sometimes hostile — organization to provide players was seen as too risky.

Over the following 25 years, there was a gradual change in the position of the PFA. When the West Bank Premier League went professional 13 years ago, Palestinian footballers from the second and third tiers of Israeli football started popping up on pitches in Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus, eventually earning themselves national team call-ups.

Since then, the modus operandi for Palestinian citizens of Israel to play in the national team has been to move to the WBPL in order to showcase their abilities. Palestine has reaped the talents of players like Haitham Dheeb, Rami Hamada, Abdallah Jaber, and Mohammed Darweesh, who had been overlooked by clubs in the Israeli first tier.

The strategy also meant that Palestine lost out on elite talents by not actively pursuing players playing in a league that has been, on average, in the top 20 of the Union of European Football Associations’ country coefficient for the past 15 years.

Jaber’s path to the Palestinian national team was anything but direct.

The native of Majd Al-Krum was an obvious talent, joining the academy of Maccabi Haifa at 6 years old and making his professional debut at 18. Three years later, he was capped for Israel’s U-21, a team he would go on to captain on four occasions. That captaincy was the subject of much fanfare as Jaber became the first Arab captain in the history of the Israeli national teams — on the same day that Israel’s senior team was captained by the Circassian Bibras Natcho.

That day in 2015 was used to signal the liberal and open nature of Israeli society, but it is a narrative that does not reflect reality in Jaber’s opinion.

“(In Israel), they feed a narrative to (Arab) players that sport should not mix with politics, that you represent your community, that you will have a voice, and that you don’t need to sing the (Israeli) national anthem,” Jaber told Arab News.

A pandemic, a war, and a chance encounter with a teammate led to an epiphany and eventually a one-time nationality switch with FIFA.

“After what happened in Sheikh Jarrah, I realized that it was impossible to separate politics from sport and even if I wanted to represent ‘48 Arabs, there were better ways of doing it,” Jaber said.

Shortly thereafter, Jaber decided that representing Israel’s national teams was no longer an option for him. It was not clear if he would be able to represent Palestine until a teammate explained how it could be done.

Rami Hamadi, Palestine’s star goalkeeper, left the WBPL in 2020 due to financial hardships his team was facing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually agreeing to sign for Bnei Sakhnin FC in the Israeli topflight. It was in the small Galilee town of Sakhnin where Jaber’s path to the Palestine national football team became clearer.

“Things changed for me when I met Rami Hamadi while playing for Sakhnin. I then found out that there was a league in the West Bank and a Palestinian national team that we can represent. I didn’t know that was even a possibility because I didn’t have a passport,” Jaber said.

The pursuit of a travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority — a prerequisite for any player wishing to represent Palestine — was a process that took nearly two years.

It was, however, worth the wait as Jaber thoroughly enjoyed his time with the team in June and was pleasantly surprised at the level exhibited by the team in matches that did not feature national team captain Musab Al-Battat and Charleroi star Oday Dabbagh.

“I took the decision to represent the Palestinian national team for many reasons. First because I am Palestinian, second because I have the ability, and third to deliver a message to players inside the Green Line that this choice is available to them,” Jaber said.

That message has resonated both with the PFA and several players. Following Jaber’s debut, the U-23 team called up Bnei Sakhnin’s Abdelhadi Yasin and Hadi Rabah.

For the September FIFA window, the senior team called in two other footballers currently plying their trade in the Israeli Leagues. Winger Alaa Al-Deen Hassan (Bnei Sakhnin) and defender Amid Mahajna (Hapoel Umm El-Fahm) were included in the 24-man squad to face Oman and Vietnam.

Jaber accepts that the path for players who make the decision to represent Palestine could be difficult, especially for those in the top two tiers of Israeli football.

“There is a fear among Palestinian players inside the Green Line because making such a decision could cut off their main source of income, especially given the fact that they cannot play abroad like I do,” he said. “There are pitfalls, but if an individual sets his mind to it and aims to play for Palestine, his path will become easier.”


Odegaard inspires Arsenal to reignite title hopes

Updated 30 sec ago
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Odegaard inspires Arsenal to reignite title hopes

  • Victory at the Emirates lifts them to 22 points, level with third-placed Chelsea
  • Captain Odegaard was making his first appearance at the Emirates since late August and showed what a huge miss he was for Arsenal

LONDON: Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal team “flows in a different way” when Martin Odegaard is playing after the Gunners crushed Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Saturday to end their winless run.
Stunning strikes from Bukayo Saka and Thomas Partey and a first Premier League goal for teenager Ethan Nwaneri gave Arsenal a first victory in five league games, reigniting their title challenge.
Arsenal, Premier League runners-up for the past two seasons, started the campaign strongly but their form dipped and they kicked off on Saturday nine points behind leaders Liverpool.
Victory at the Emirates lifts them to 22 points, level with third-placed Chelsea.
Arsenal took the lead in the 15th minute when Saka exchanged passes with Odegaard on the edge of the area before lashing a left-footed shot into the roof of the net.
Captain Odegaard was making his first appearance at the Emirates since late August and showed what a huge miss he was for Arsenal during his two-month injury absence.
Time and again the Norwegian found space in the penalty area with his quick feet and he teed up Gabriel Jesus, who curled narrowly wide, before linking up with Saka again.
Partey doubled Arsenal’s lead early in the second half after collecting Saka’s pass 20 yards out and taking a touch, before curling his shot away from the dive of Matz Sels and inside the far post.
Seventeen-year-old Nwaneri tucked away Raheem Sterling’s cutback to wrap up an emphatic win in the 86th minute.
“I think we started really well,” Arteta told the BBC. “The sense I was getting in the last 48 hours after the international break, the boys coming together and were all at it.”
Speaking about Odegaard, who returned to action at Inter Milan earlier this month, he said: “It’s not a coincidence. The team flows in a different way when he is playing.”
And he also had warm words for Nwaneri.
“He is the second-youngest (Premier League goalscorer) in our history,” Arteta said. “That’s a story in itself.
“He’s brave. You see the reaction of fans and they were singing ‘He’s one of our own’. I think we have to put brick by brick and make sure the cement doesn’t get dry. Hopefully we can build a beautiful thing with him.”


Leipzig lose ground on Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen win

Updated 23 November 2024
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Leipzig lose ground on Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen win

  • Hoffenheim came from a goal down to equalize three times and hit the lead with four minutes remaining on a wild debut for new manager Christian Ilzer
  • In Dortmund, the home side won 4-0 over Freiburg thanks to goals from Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt and Jamie Gittens

DORTMUND: RB Leipzig continued to lose ground on Bundesliga league leaders Bayern Munich with a 4-3 defeat at lowly Hoffenheim on Saturday, while Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen registered big wins.
Hoffenheim came from a goal down to equalize three times and hit the lead with four minutes remaining on a wild debut for new manager Christian Ilzer.
Hoffenheim’s Adam Hlozek collected a brace while Tom Bischof scored a clever free kick and Jakob Bruun Larsen was responsible for the winner in the 86th minute.
Leipzig’s efforts came through Willi Orban, Antonio Nusa and an own goal from Hoffenheim’s Stanley Nsoki.
Equal on points with Bayern just three matchdays ago, Leipzig have lost two and drawn one and now sit eight behind the league leaders.
Leipzig had only conceded five goals in the league season before Saturday’s outing.
Eintracht Frankfurt can leapfrog Leipzig into second place and close the gap on Bayern to six points when they host Werder Bremen later on Saturday.
In Dortmund, the home side won 4-0 over Freiburg thanks to goals from Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt and Jamie Gittens, while the visitors finished with nine men.
Under fire and sitting outside the European placings coming into the match, Dortmund’s one saving grace this league campaign has been their home form, with five wins from five.
The hosts got on track early, when Beier, who scored a double for Germany’s under-21s against France this week, opening the scoring seven minutes in.
Midfielder Nmecha, who scored for Germany’s senior side in their 1-1 draw in Hungary midweek, added a second with a superb long-range effort on the 40th-minute mark.
Freiburg’s hopes of a comeback were snuffed out after 63 minutes when Patrick Osterhage picked up a second yellow card for a rough tussle with Marcel Sabitzer.
From the ensuing free kick, Dortmund’s Brandt curled the ball home and England winger Gittens curled in a fourth to seal the match with 13 minutes remaining.
Freiburg’s Junior Adamu saw straight red for striking Dortmund’s Waldemar Anton in stoppage time, reducing his side to nine men.
Dortmund have now won their past six against Freiburg, scoring 24 and conceding five.
Defending champions Leverkusen came from two goals down to win 5-2 at home against Heidenheim thanks to a hat-trick from Patrick Schick.
Heidenheim, who host Chelsea in the Conference League on Thursday, were two goals up within 21 minutes, with Niklas Dorsch and Mathias Honsak taking advantage of some sleepy defense.
World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios pulled one back on the half-hour mark before Schick, in for the injured Victor Boniface, scored three unanswered goals to wrestle back control of the match before Granit Xhaka added a fifth with eight minutes remaining.
Last season’s runners-up Stuttgart scored two second-half goals through Chris Fuehrich and Justin Diehl to win 2-0 at home over last-placed Bochum, who have just one point from 11 games this season.
Elsewhere, Wolfsburg’s Ridle Baku scored the only goal as his side defeated Union Berlin 1-0 at home.


Ancelotti says ‘ugly’ to speculate about Mbappe mental health

Updated 23 November 2024
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Ancelotti says ‘ugly’ to speculate about Mbappe mental health

  • Mbappe has scored just one goal in his last seven Madrid games across all competitions
  • “What a question — I don’t have the impression that he has any mental health problems,” Ancelotti said

MALAGA: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Saturday it was “ugly” to speculate about the mental health of superstar striker Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe has scored just one goal in his last seven Madrid games across all competitions and is also involved in a multi-million euro pay dispute with former club Paris Saint-Germain.
Ancelotti was asked at his weekly press conference if the striker was struggling with pressure.
“What a question — I don’t have the impression that he has any mental health problems,” Ancelotti said.
“I see him as happy to be here, if he is, he doesn’t show it, but I think speculating about problems of this type is a bit ugly.”
The forward was left out of France’s squad for recent Nations League matches for the second time in two months, and was linked to a rape investigation in Sweden, which Mbappe has denied.
France coach Didier Deschamps did not select the 25-year-old for matches against Israel and Italy, saying “it was better that way.”
Ancelotti said he was confident Mbappe, who joined Madrid this summer at the end of his PSG deal, would find the net at the weekend away at minnows Leganes.
“There are always bad moments, all the great strikers have been through them, but he’s motivated and happy, and that’s all I can see,” continued Ancelotti.
“I’m convinced that he’s going to play a great match tomorrow and that all this will come to an end.
“He has extraordinary qualities, it’s just a matter of time.”


PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest

Updated 23 November 2024
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PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest

  • The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half
  • The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain retained a six-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 after a labored 3-0 home win over Toulouse on Friday.

The defending champion dominated the first half but it took until the 35th minute to open the scoring.

Young Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves spun to meet a cross from the right and struck a superb half volley from just outside the box.

Lucas Beraldo got a second with six minutes remaining when he pounced on loose ball and fired home.

Vitinha made it 3-0 in stoppage time when he showed fine footwork inside the box to finish off a quick counterattack.

The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half.

Only Vitinha’s last-gasp tackle stopped Zakaria Aboukhlal from equalizing after 69 minutes and then Shavy Babicka blazed over from close range a minute later when he should have hit the target.

The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich.

PSG lie in 25th place in the 36-team Champions League table with one win in four matches and outside the playoff spots.

Monaco beat Brest

The win came immediately after second-placed Monaco beat Brest 3-2 to briefly close the gap at the top to three points.

Brest, who face Barcelona next week in the Champions League, turned in another inconsistent French league performance and not the sparkling form they have shown in Europe.

Brest have struggled in Ligue 1, where they remain 12th, but shone with three wins from four in their first-ever Champions League campaign.

It was behind after just five minutes on Friday when Maghnes Akliouche scored with a superb airborne volley, and 2-0 down after 24 minutes thanks to Aleksandr Golovin.

The Russian striker seized on a poor pass just outside the Brest penalty area and his low shot was perfectly placed to sneak in off the post and give him his first goal in nine league appearances.

On-loan Brighton striker Abdallah Sima used his 1.88-meter frame to outjump the Monaco defense four minutes into the second half and cut the deficit but Akliouche restored Monaco’s two-goal cushion when he brilliantly finished a quick counterattack in stoppage time.

Ludovic Ajorque got a second for Brest in the sixth minute of added time but it was not enough in a second half most notable for the red card shown to Brest coach Eric Roy.


Kane hat-trick sends Bayern eight points clear

Updated 23 November 2024
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Kane hat-trick sends Bayern eight points clear

  • Bayern, still yet to lose in the league in 2024-25, were dominant throughout but kept at bay by some dogged defending from their Bavarian neighbors
  • With 61 minutes gone, the ball connected with Augsburg’s Mads Pedersen’s outstretched arm in the box, bringing the England captain to the spot after a VAR review

MUNICH: A second-half Harry Kane hat-trick took Bayern Munich to a 3-0 home win over Augsburg on Friday, sending them eight clear atop the table ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern, still yet to lose in the league in 2024-25, were dominant throughout but kept at bay by some dogged defending from their Bavarian neighbors.
With 61 minutes gone, the ball connected with Augsburg’s Mads Pedersen’s outstretched arm in the box, bringing the England captain to the spot after a VAR review.
Kane cooly converted to give Bayern the lead.
In stoppage time, Kane went down in the box after contact from Keven Schlotterbeck and Bayern were again awarded a penalty after a VAR review, which the 31-year-old converted.
Schlotterbeck was sent from the field after picking up a second yellow for his challenge.
Kane then added a third, this time controlling a cross and heading in, his seventh hat-trick since joining Bayern.
The England captain now has 14 goals in 11 league games for Bayern this season, five of which have come from the spot.
Leipzig can cut the gap back to five when they play at struggling Hoffenheim on Saturday, while defending champions Bayer Leverkusen host Heidenheim.
The German giants received a boost pre-match, with captain and veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer cleared to start after missing training with a rib issue.
Bayern were in control of possession and field position but could not break through.
Augsburg offered little in attack but defended stoutly, holding Bayern’s glittering attacking riches at bay.
Augsburg goalie Nediljko Labrovic held firm to snuff out first-half chances from Jamal Musiaia and Leon Goretzka.
The Bavarian giants, still smarting after going trophyless for the first time in 11 seasons last campaign, eventually broke through with half an hour remaining, breaking Augsburg’s resolve.
Riding high in the league, Bayern have struggled in the Champions League format, sitting 17th after four games — six behind leaders Liverpool.
Tuesday’s home match with PSG, who are even further down the Champions League table, could be crucial for the German side in their top-eight bid to avoid the extra playoff round.