Hapoel Tel Aviv and Katowice Warned Against Offensive Signs Ahead of Tense Conference League Match

Hapoel Tel Aviv is set to face Polish club Katowice on Wednesday at 19:00 in Poland, amid heightened tensions between Israeli and Polish fans. The first leg in Miskolc was tense but incident-free. Last season, a provocative banner by Maccabi Haifa fans referencing 1939 escalated tensions after Polish Rakow fans accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, prompting intervention from Israeli officials including Yaakov Shahar.

Since then, Israeli teams have faced a hostile reception in Poland, even in friendly matches. Katowice fans protested during the break, causing the cancellation of a planned friendly against Maccabi Netanya, before knowing they would face Hapoel Tel Aviv in European competition. The situation worsened after a controversial post by Pogon Szczecin’s owner and a strong response from the Israeli Football Association chairman.

Reports indicate Hapoel Tel Aviv fans purchased 461 of the 753 tickets allocated to them. They flew to Krakow and, following police instructions, will arrive at the stadium in an organized manner and return to Krakow immediately after the match for their flight back to Israel. UEFA has deployed an additional security officer for the match. Both clubs have been warned that any antisemitic or offensive banners will result in immediate match suspension.