Israel’s hopes of a strong start at the Paris Olympics suffered a blow as defender Roy Revivo lost his appeal against a two-game FIFA ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the ban just hours before Israel’s opening match against Mali.
The decision came after an urgent hearing at CAS’s Olympic base in Paris. The panel of three judges dismissed Revivo’s application, leaving the Israeli team without a key player for their crucial opener. The match against Mali was scheduled for 9 p.m. at the Parc des Princes stadium, home to Paris Saint-Germain.
Revivo’s ban stems from a red card he received during a UEFA European Championship qualifying playoff match against Iceland in March. Despite the Olympics being organized by FIFA, the governing body for international football, the ban imposed by UEFA still stands.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv defender was sent off for a rough tackle, which ultimately resulted in Israel’s 4-1 loss and elimination from the qualifying tournament. Since then, Israel has not played a competitive game, leading to FIFA’s ruling on Monday that Revivo must miss two Olympic matches.
Revivo will miss the game against Paraguay in Paris on Saturday, but could potentially return for Israel’s match against Japan in Nantes on Tuesday. The absence of the experienced defender will be a significant loss for Israel, who will be aiming to make a strong impression in the Olympic tournament.
