Feb. 10, 2013: Beitar Jerusalem's Dzhabrail Kadiyev, right, plays during a match against Bnei Sakhnin as part of the Israeli Premier League, at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. (Reuters)
One of Israel’s top soccer teams wants to remind the world – apparently forever – that it appreciates President Trump’s decision to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem.
Beitar Jerusalem announced Sunday that the team will now be named “Beitar Trump Jerusalem” in honor of the president’s “courageous move” to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state.
“Trump has shown courage, and true love of the Israeli people and their capital, and these days other countries are following his lead in giving Jerusalem its rightful status,” the team wrote on a Facebook post with an image of Trump between the Israeli and American flags.
“The chairmen of the club, the owner Eli Tabib and the executive manager Eli Ohana have decided to add to the club's title the name of the American President who made history, and from now on will be called Beitar Trump Jerusalem,” it added. “We have the greatest love for the President, and it will win!”
Beitar Jerusalem is currently in second place in Israel’s soccer league and has qualified for next season’s Europa League, an annual international tournament comprising of teams that finish in the upper echelon of European competition.
Despite the announced name change though, the county’s Football Association still has to approve it, and Beitar Jerusalem has not yet received permission to use Trump -- a registered trademark in Israel – as part of its identity, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.