More details emerge surrounding shocking arrest of Stephane Omeonga as police claim footballer was on Israeli blacklist

Ex-Cercle Brugge and now Bnei Sakhnin (Israel) midfielder Stephane Omeonga was arrested on Monday. In a widely viewed video the Belgian posted online, he can be seen being violently removed from a plane in Rome as he made his way from Brussels to Tel Aviv.

In an in-depth statement, Omeonga spoke of police violence and discrimination, while according to the police, officers intervened because the 28-year-old was on Israel’s blacklist.

Following Omeonga’s testimony, the police issued a statement about what happened on the plane at Rome airport on December 25. Agents of the ‘Polaria’, the Italian customs, apparently intervened because Omeonga was flagged as a threat to Israel. This in itself, is a puzzling idea as he has played football there since joining Bnei Sakhnin from Scottish side Livingston in 2023.

Citing prejudicial treatment, Omeonga said to Walloon newspaper La DH: “They tried to blame the Israeli immigration service for refusing me entry (…) I contacted them the next day and they told me it wasn’t true. I have a valid work permit so I can go.”

GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield