EuroLeague CEO to Visit Israel Amid Hopes for Return of Games

Maccabi Tel Aviv is expressing cautious optimism about the possibility of bringing EuroLeague games back to Israel. Following a meeting between the club's chairman, Shimon Mizrahi, and EuroLeague CEO in Como, Italy, it was agreed that the CEO of EuroLeague, along with competition manager Diego Gian, will visit Israel early next week. The purpose of their visit is to hold a series of meetings and assess the security situation. They are scheduled to meet with representatives from Maccabi Tel Aviv, and potentially also with officials from Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv, as these clubs have recently been collaborating. The Israeli clubs aim to demonstrate to the CEO of EuroLeague that Israel is a secure location for hosting games, with no restrictions on teams traveling to the country. The clubs reportedly plan to postpone any decisions about moving games to Cyprus until after the EuroLeague officials' visit, to avoid presenting them with an easier alternative that could derail the return of games to Israel. Jason Levien, representing Maccabi Tel Aviv, was also present at the meeting in Italy. Levien has been offered a role representing the club within the EuroLeague, and currently holds a 7.5 percent stake in Maccabi Tel Aviv.