Belgian mayor blocks club from hosting Israeli opponent in Europa League

What the report says

Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise will need to relocate its Europa League home match against Hapoel Beer-Sheva after the mayor of Leuven refused to allow the game to be played in the city. According to Al Jazeera, the fixture is scheduled for October 22, following last week’s Europa League draw, and Union had hoped to use Leuven because its Brussels stadium does not meet UEFA requirements for European matches.

Leuven mayor Mohamed Ridouani said the city would not authorize the match, citing public safety concerns, even if the game were held without spectators. He also said the decision was in line with Leuven’s earlier stance on matches involving Belgium’s national teams against Israel. UEFA said it had been informed of the city’s position and stated that it is the host club’s responsibility to identify an alternative venue.

The report notes that UEFA has required Israeli club and national teams to play home games at neutral venues in European competition since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Hapoel Beer-Sheva has already used neutral sites in Hungary and Romania during qualifying this season. The move is notable because away matches involving Israeli teams are rarely shifted, and it adds another example of how the Gaza war and related security concerns are affecting European football scheduling.