Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball May Move EuroLeague Games to Cyprus

Maccabi Tel Aviv's efforts to relocate its EuroLeague home games to Cyprus are progressing, with reports indicating the Cypriot government has approved the request. The final step is approval from the EuroLeague itself. According to Neoklis Theocharidis, manager of CyprusBasket, the move was facilitated by a meeting between Shimon Mizrahi, chairman of Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. Theocharidis stated that following this meeting, a formal request was submitted to host the games in Cyprus, which was positively received by the Cypriot Republic.

The relocation is driven by the security situation in Israel and European teams' reluctance to travel to Tel Aviv. "We don't know what's happening in Israel with the war situation. No doubt, no team in Europe wants to play in Tel Aviv," Theocharidis commented, highlighting Cyprus's proven ability to host sports events. The primary venue under consideration is the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, chosen partly for security reasons. It remains unclear if spectators will be permitted.

Maccabi Tel Aviv has recently been forced to play its home games outside Israel, with Belgrade serving as the temporary venue. This move to Serbia incurred significant costs for the club, estimated at NIS 100,000 per game for venue rental, security, and logistics. Furthermore, the travel and extended stays abroad resulted in direct expenses of approximately NIS 5.5 million during the first season away from home.

The most substantial financial blow, however, stems from the loss of revenue from hosting games at the Menora Mivtachim Arena. The inability to accommodate large crowds in Israel negatively impacted income from ticket sales, season tickets, concessions, and sponsorships, with losses estimated between NIS 1.5 to 2 million per home game. In total, the loss of home-court advantage has cost the club over NIS 25 million in revenue this season.