DIYARBAKIR, Turkey - Israeli player Dia Saba was welcomed by the supporters of the Turkey-based Kurdish Amedspor on Monday after joining the football club. The move has angered many in Turkey due to his nationality.
Saba, an Arab Muslim, was warmly received by Amedspor fans at the Diyarbakir (Amed) airport. He thanked his fans for their support.
“I am happy to be here. I want to be here. And Biji Amedspor [Long live Amedspor],” he told Rudaw, saying the famous Kurdish sentence often uttered by the club's fans.
Sedat Oner, an Amedspor fan, expected Saba to boost the club.
“He will be very beneficial. We had deficiencies in terms of footballers. We also believe in Dia Saba. We need him. Hopefully, with his arrival, our deficiencies will end,” he said.
Amedspor has been the subject of several controversies in Turkey in the past few years after it changed its name to reflect Diyarbakir’s Kurdish name, Amed. The team often faces nationalist and anti-Kurdish chants during their away games, sometimes leading to violence.
Amedspor has millions of supporters, including Kurds in Turkey and the diaspora.