“He should stop it”
Trainer offers taxi driver sex instead of money
May 4, 2026 – 5:07 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Scandal surrounding Maccabi coach Ronny Deila: After a taxi ride at night there are serious allegations against him – now he is threatened with expulsion.
An incident in Tel Aviv puts Maccabi coach Ronny Deila in distress. There are serious allegations against the Norwegian football coach after a taxi ride at night.
As the Israeli newspaper “Yediot Acharonot” reports, the 50-year-old is said to have sexually harassed a taxi driver after a night of drinking last Thursday. The woman described the incident clearly. “He asked me if he could pay for my trip with sex instead of money.” There had already been suggestive comments before. She continued: “I told him to stop because it made me uncomfortable.”
The trip is said to have taken place around 4 a.m. Meanwhile, the driver informed a colleague and called the police. She later met Deila at his home address and questioned him. He is said to have not paid the fare.
On Sunday, Deila herself commented on the allegations. “I would like to say a few words about the things that came against me today. The things happened early on Thursday morning during a taxi ride. I don’t remember the details because I had too much to drink. That’s why I called the taxi.”
He also said: “If my words have hurt the taxi driver, I apologize sincerely and from the bottom of my heart. I would also like to apologize to all members of the club and to our great fans. This behavior does not correspond to the standards and values that I set for myself. I take responsibility and will learn from it and become better. Again, I sincerely apologize.”
According to the Tel Aviv police, the investigation is ongoing. A confrontation between Deila and the taxi driver is planned.
Deila had already attracted attention in Tel Aviv last month. An incident is said to have occurred in the “Berlin” bar after he was refused further alcoholic drinks and he became violent. The police took him out of the restaurant at that time.
In Israel it is expected that the coach could lose his job in the coming days.
