In the 1970s and '80s, Uri Malmilian was the shining star of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team and led it to championship wins and five national cups. Malmilian was born and lived for many years in the Mamila neighborhood of Jerusalem, only a few hundred feet from the YMCA — Beitar's home field until 1991. On Saturday afternoons, after praying at his synagogue in the morning, Malmilian would walk from his home to the field accompanied by dozens of fans. For away games, he would sleep at a hotel on Friday night, and on Saturday, he would walk from the hotel to the opposing team’s field, as Orthodox Jewish observance precludes travelling by car on the Sabbath.
Malmilian is one of many prominent soccer figures demanding an end to Saturday soccer games, the subject of a petition to Israel's Supreme Court. He and about 250 others, among them Israel national team players, coaches and former players, signed a petition presented to the prime minister this month.
