Hapoel Beersheba to play in Germany with no fans in attendance after Belgium ban
The mayor of the Belgian city of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani, decided that no Israeli team would play in the city's stadium because of security concerns.
Hapoel Beersheba, Israeli soccer champions, will face Union Saint-Gilloise in a UEFA Europa League match at Germany's Düsseldorf Arena without fans due to security concerns. This decision came after Leuven mayor Mohamed Ridouani announced that the Israeli team would not be allowed to play in the Belgian city. Union Saint-Gilloise initially sought to play all four of its Europa League home matches in Leuven, but ultimately had to opt for a neutral venue due to security issues.
The club expressed regret for fans being unable to attend, as season-pass holders would be reimbursed for the match. Ridouani justified his decision citing public safety concerns and accused opponents of racism, hatred, lies and propaganda. This marks another instance of Israeli teams being forced to play away games in neutral locations since the October 7 massacre.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
