By EJP team
The mayor of the Belgian city of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani, has announced during a city council meeting that he opposes hosting Israeli football team Hapoel Beer-Sheva on ‘’security reasons.’’
The Israeli club is scheduled to play against Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise on October 22 in the framework of the UEFA Europa League.
“Union is welcome here, but in this specific case, it’s an Israeli team, and I’m consistent on this issue,” the mayor, who is a meùmber of the Flemish Socialiist party Vooruit, said. “In the past, I refused to let the Red Flames play here against Israel, and the Red Devils also had to travel elsewhere,’’ he added in a reference to Belgiulm’s female and malenational teams.
Union, which is a club in Brussels, stated that it had “taken note of the decision” and was “in discussions with all relevant authorities to find a solution.”
The club plays its European home games each year at a place other than its Brussels stadium because the latter does not meet UEFA’s requirements.
This is not the first time Belgian authorities have blocked a match involving an Israeli team on ‘’security grounds.’’
In 2024, the mayor of Brussels refused to host Belgium’s Nations League game against Israel, citing the risk of major demonstrations and counter-demonstrations.
The game was eventually moved to Debrecen, Hungary, and played behind closed doors.