Israeli soccer champions Hapoel Beersheba will play in a neutral venue in Germany without fans for its next UEFA Europa League match, the Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise announced in a statement Friday.
The decision followed Mohamed Ridouani, the mayor of the Belgian city of Leuven, announcing in August that he would not allow the Israeli team to play in the city because of security concerns.
The Belgian club said in a statement that it initially aimed to secure a location inside Belgium, but it only managed to get permission to play at the Düsseldorf Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany.
"The Düsseldorf Arena was ultimately selected as a stadium that allows us to keep the travel distance for our players and staff as short as possible and therefore minimize the impact on them," the club statement read, adding that season-pass holders would be reimbursed for the match.
The Union Saint-Gilloise originally planned to play all of its four UEL home matches at Leuven, after its own home stadium was deemed "unfit" to host games of this caliber.
In a separate statement, Hapoel Beersheba confirmed the location change and said, "In the end, according to their claim, this was not possible due to security reasons. We are very sorry about the decision and about the fact that fans of both teams will not be able to come and support from the stands."
Leuven mayor claims decision taken for 'security reasons'
Ridouani, who has served as mayor of Leuven since 2019, said in a statement that the decision was made "for the sake of public safety," adding that even if it were played behind closed doors, there would be a "risk of people still flocking to the stadium."
After several prominent Jewish figures in Belgium pointed out that games were only banned for security reasons when involving Israeli sides, something that had already happened in the city with matches involving other Belgian sides, the mayor accused of being the victim of "racism, hatred, lies and propaganda."
"Those who know me know that I always choose inclusion, always choose human rights," he said in an Instagram post, where he also noted that the city's Rabbi Ilana Sumka, the only female rabbi in Belgium, supported the decision.
"I remain 100% convinced that I made the right decision. Guaranteeing public safety is essential to me," he added in his statement.
Israeli sides barred from playing on home soil since Oct. 7
Israeli soccer fans have already gotten accustomed to playing their European games outside of Israel, as almost all sporting events involving Israeli and foreign athletes have been moved abroad since the October 7 massacre and the beginning of the war.
Even after several ceasefires agreed upon on most fronts, the official UEFA policy with Israeli teams establishes that their home games must be played at neutral sites outside of Israel.
For example, Hapoel Beersheba has played all of its European home matches in Hungary and Romania, including UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
Sports clubs and the Israeli national team have faced similar situations, and the national team has an upcoming Nations League match against Ireland scheduled for Sunday in Serbia, behind closed doors.