Brussels Declines Hosting Belgium-Israel Soccer Game Amid War In Gaza (image-instagram/royalbelgianfa )
The city of Brussels has decided not to host Belgium’s men’s National League game against Israel in September citing security reasons. In a statement released on Wednesday, it stated that it is “impossible to organize this very high-risk match” at 50,000 capacity King Bedouin Stadium in Brussels.
The King Bedouin stadium is the traditional home of the national team and the match was scheduled to be held on September 6.
The municipal government of Belgium’s capital stated that after a careful and in-depth analysis, a match in these troubled times would undoubtedly lead to large demonstrations and counter-demonstrations, jeopardizing the safety of spectators, players, residents and police forces.
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Following the tension in the air, Brussels paused the ticket sales for the match last month. Israel’s gruesome crime in Gazza has sparked global demonstrations, including in Belgium where pro-Palestinian activists organized protests and sit-ins at universities. This has even led some Belgium universities to partly or wholly sever ties with Israeli institutions.
Similarly, earlier, the Mayor of Gent, 55 km away from Brussels, forced KAA Gent’s conference League home game against Israeli side Maccabi Haifa in February to be played without fans due to security reasons.
The Royal Belgium Football Association says it is “looking for a solution to enable us to play the match at home”. They further added that they are in contact with several other towns, cities, and security services.
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Belgium is currently competing at the European Championship in Germany. They lost their first game 1-0 against Slovakia and will face Romania and Ukraine in the remaining group matches.
