Uefa President Michel Platini has criticised Limor Livnat, Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister, after she said Israeli football needs to put its house in order.

Referring to recent incidents in which Betar Jerusalem fans attacked Arab workers in a shopping mall and two Maccabi Petach Tikvah coaches were charged with assaulting an Arab player of Hapoel Haifa, Livnat said football must take time out to change its culture.

Platini, who was in Israel to open the Israel FA’s Academy and Training Centre at Shefayim near Tel Aviv, believes that the IFA is not to blame for the incidents.

Responding to the comments, he said: "IFA chairman Avi Luzon is not a policeman. To deal with these gangsters we need a strong police force and that is the job of government."