UEFA has moved Maccabi Tel Aviv’s upcoming Europa League away game against Besiktas to Hungary. The background to this is the outbreak of violence in Amsterdam – and a request from the visiting club.
As UEFA announced, the match between Besiktas and Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 28 will not be played in the metropolis on the Bosporus, but will be moved to the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, which is more than 900 kilometers away as the crow flies. After consultation with the local authorities, neither home nor away fans will be allowed, so the game will be played behind closed doors.
The reason for this measure is the anti-Semitic attacks on Maccabi fans during the Israeli club’s last away game in Amsterdam. The outbreak of violence has had an enormous impact, with even US President Joe Biden expressing his dismay in a statement.
Tense relations between Turkey and Israel
According to Dutch authorities, the attackers had deliberately targeted Maccabi fans in order to attack them at various locations in Amsterdam. Police made more than 60 preliminary arrests, ten of whom had to remain in custody for a longer period. Over 30 people were injured. Israel had sent charter planes free of charge to be able to bring its citizens home quickly and safely.
By rescheduling the game, UEFA is also complying with an express wish of Besiktas and a request from the Turkish authorities. The club had asked to be rescheduled to a neutral country even before the incidents in Amsterdam. The reason for this is the tense relationship between Turkey and Israel, partly due to the war in Gaza. Last year, Israel therefore advised its citizens and diplomats to leave Turkey.
