Israeli soccer teams Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv relocate ‘home’ games to Serbia due to security concerns amid conflict with Hamas.
UEFA’s Decision
Israeli soccer teams Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv have been instructed by UEFA to relocate their remaining ‘home’ games in the group stage of European competitions to Serbia. This decision comes as a result of the ongoing conflict with Hamas, which has led to a current security situation in Israel, rendering it unsuitable to host international games.
Alternative Venue Choices
In light of the security concerns, both the Israel men’s and women’s national teams have opted to play their home games in Felcsút, Hungary. It’s worth noting that the chosen stadium in Hungary has close ties to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Furthermore, Maccabi Haifa had already played a Europa League game in Larnaca, Cyprus, last week as an alternative venue.
Upcoming Matches
Maccabi Haifa is scheduled to use Red Star Belgrade’s home stadium to host Rennes on Nov. 30. Meanwhile, in the third-tier Europa Conference League, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be playing two games at Serbian club TSC’s stadium in Backa Topola. The rescheduled game against Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine will take place on Nov. 25, followed by a match against Gent of Belgium on Dec. 14.