Israeli Basketball Clubs Lobby for EuroLeague Return, Seek Cyprus as Home Venue

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem are collaborating to pressure EuroLeague officials into allowing their games to return to Israel this season. The two Israeli clubs are in constant communication and are working together to lobby the European league's leadership, with whom they maintain good working relations. Officials from both clubs are optimistic that their joint pressure might lead to the return of EuroLeague and EuroCup games to Israel soon, despite the security situation in the Middle East. Notably, Dubai has been permitted to host games while Israeli teams have not.

In parallel, Hapoel Jerusalem is in discussions with the Cypriot government to relocate its EuroCup home games to the island nation, having previously played in Belgrade, Serbia, for the past two seasons. This move by Hapoel Jerusalem mirrors similar efforts by Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, who are also seeking to host their European games in Cyprus. Such a relocation is expected to ease financial burdens on the Israeli clubs and potentially increase the number of fans able to attend home games.

Maccabi Tel Aviv has formally approached Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides with its desire to host EuroLeague matches in Cyprus. While previous attempts by Israeli representatives and the national team to host games in Cyprus since the war began were rejected, the President has now exceptionally agreed to the request from Maccabi Tel Aviv, which also has the backing of Israeli basketball authorities. A formal approval is anticipated shortly, paving the way for other Israeli teams in European competitions to pursue similar arrangements. If the move is approved, potential venues in Cyprus include the "Spiros Kiprianou" arena in Limassol and the "Taso Papadopoulos, Eleftheria" arena in Nicosia.