Belgian City Refuses to Host Israeli Soccer Team Due to Security Concerns

The mayor of Leuven, Belgium, has declared that the city will not host an upcoming Europa League match involving Israeli soccer club Hapoel Be'er Sheva, citing public security reasons. Union Saint-Gilloise, the Belgian team that will host its European matches in Leuven, is scheduled to play Hapoel Be'er Sheva on October 22.

Mayor Mohamed Ridouani stated, "Union is welcome here, but in this case, it is an Israeli team, and I am consistent in my position." He recalled that he had previously refused to allow the Belgian women's national team and the senior national team to play against Israel in Leuven. "For public security reasons, I have announced that this game cannot take place in Leuven either. Even if they say the game is without spectators, it is not acceptable, because people can still come to the stadium," Ridouani added.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva qualified for the Europa League group stage last week. While the team cannot host home games in Israel due to the ongoing conflict following the October 7th attacks, it now appears they will also face difficulties playing away games in neutral venues. Union Saint-Gilloise is expected to play other group stage matches at the King Power at Den Dreef stadium in Leuven, including games against Celtic, Real Sociedad, and Lech Poznań.

Union Saint-Gilloise 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 discussions with all parties involved in an attempt to find a solution. As soon as there is news, we will immediately update the fans."