Maccabi Tel Aviv Begins New Era Hosting EuroLeague Games in Cyprus
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Maccabi Tel Aviv will play its first EuroLeague home game in Cyprus on Thursday at the renovated Spyros Kyprianou Arena. The move aims to save significant travel time and distance for the team, with an estimated 82% reduction in air travel. Security measures will allow 3,000 Maccabi fans and 1,500 local spectators. The team is still working on returning games to Israel.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Tel Aviv will host its first EuroLeague game in Cyprus on Thursday.
- The move to Cyprus is expected to save the team approximately 75 flight hours.
- The Spyros Kyprianou Arena was renovated for 14.5 million Euros for the FIBA EuroBasket.
- Security arrangements will permit 3,000 Maccabi fans and 1,500 local spectators.
- The first game in Cyprus will be a derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Maccabi Tel Aviv will host its first EuroLeague game in Cyprus on Thursday at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena, marking a significant shift for the team. This arena, named after the late second president of Cyprus, has undergone extensive renovations, including a 14.5 million Euro upgrade in 2025 for the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. The venue previously hosted games for Greece, Italy, Spain, Bosnia, and Georgia during the championship, even setting a crowd record for a basketball game during the Greece-Spain match.
The decision to move home games to Cyprus stems from a desire to reduce travel time and distance for the team. With 15 remaining home games in the EuroLeague season, the move is expected to save approximately 75 flight hours and over 47,000 kilometers, an estimated 82% reduction in air travel distance. The arena, currently used primarily for volleyball and women's basketball, was expanded to 8,000 seats for the EuroBasket event.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has been granted permission to host 3,000 of its own fans, with an additional 1,500 local spectators allowed, due to security considerations. Cypriot police will be responsible for game security, a decision that has drawn criticism within the country. The team is actively working towards returning games to Israel but sees the Cyprus move as a way to alleviate logistical burdens and increase fan accessibility.
The inaugural game in Cyprus will be a derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv, with an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 fans expected to attend. Notably, former EuroLeague player Kamar Baldwin, who played for Georgia during the EuroBasket, also excelled in this arena. Georgia, coached by Aleksandar Džikić, achieved significant success in the tournament, including victories over Spain and Cyprus.
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