Belgian City Refuses to Host Israeli Soccer Team Over Security Concerns

The mayor of Leuven, Belgium, has stated that the city will not host an upcoming Europa League match involving Israeli football club Hapoel Be'er Sheva due to public security concerns. Union SG, the Belgian team that will host the match, typically plays its European games in Leuven.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva qualified for the Europa League group stage and, due to the ongoing conflict following the October 7th attacks, cannot host home games in Israel. However, it now appears the team will also face difficulties playing away games, as Leuven's mayor, Mohamed Ridouani, has declared that Israeli teams are not welcome in his city.

"Union is welcome here, but in this case, it concerns an Israeli team, and I am consistent in my position," Ridouani stated. He cited previous instances where he refused to allow the Belgian women's national team and the senior national team to play against Israel in Leuven, forcing them to relocate. "For reasons of public security, I have announced that this game also cannot take place in Leuven. Even if they say the game is without spectators, it is not acceptable, because people can still come to the stadium."

Union SG is scheduled to play its home games in the group stage at the King Power at Den Dreef stadium in Leuven, with opponents including Celtic, Real Sociedad, and Lech Poznań. The match against Hapoel Be'er Sheva was scheduled for October 22nd.

Union SG acknowledged the decision, stating, "We have received the decision of the Leuven city council to prohibit the holding of our match against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Europa League. We are in talks with all parties involved in an attempt to find a solution. As soon as there is news, we will immediately update the fans."