Vitesse have found themselves a man down during their mid-season break in the United Arab Emirates because Israeli defender Dan Mori has been refused permission to enter the country.
The joint-leaders of the Eredivisie had been given a guarantee that Mori could join the team, but the day before they were due to go to Abu Dhabi, that guarantee was withdrawn and the player's entry was revoked.
The UAE do not recognise Israel, and thus Mori has been refused entry with his team because of the place he was born.
Spokeswoman for the Arnhem club Esther Bal told Radio 1: "We are playing against clubs who are banking on us coming and we want to prepare ourselves properly for the second half of the season."
Mori himself wanted the rest of the team to go without him, she said.
Bal added: "Of course we wanted the team to be complete and it is very irritating for Mori that he is not with them but the interests of the team are paramount. Mori said so himself.
"And as a football club, we steer clear of politics and religion."
Esther Voet of the Dutch Israeli information centre CIDI believes Vitesse should raise the issue with the world football body FIFA.
"I wonder how things will go in Qatar where the 2022 World Cup is being held," she is quoted as saying by RTL news.
Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was also refused permission to compete in a tournament in the UAE in 2009.
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| Dan Mori has been forced to stay in Arnhem as the rest the Vitesse team fly to the UAE Photo: Getty Images |
The joint-leaders of the Eredivisie had been given a guarantee that Mori could join the team, but the day before they were due to go to Abu Dhabi, that guarantee was withdrawn and the player's entry was revoked.
The UAE do not recognise Israel, and thus Mori has been refused entry with his team because of the place he was born.
Spokeswoman for the Arnhem club Esther Bal told Radio 1: "We are playing against clubs who are banking on us coming and we want to prepare ourselves properly for the second half of the season."
Mori himself wanted the rest of the team to go without him, she said.
Bal added: "Of course we wanted the team to be complete and it is very irritating for Mori that he is not with them but the interests of the team are paramount. Mori said so himself.
"And as a football club, we steer clear of politics and religion."
Esther Voet of the Dutch Israeli information centre CIDI believes Vitesse should raise the issue with the world football body FIFA.
"I wonder how things will go in Qatar where the 2022 World Cup is being held," she is quoted as saying by RTL news.
Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was also refused permission to compete in a tournament in the UAE in 2009.
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