BRUSSELS (AP) — A soccer match between KAA Gent and Maccabi Haifa scheduled next month in Belgium should be played without fans because of fears of serious riots linked to the Israel-Hamas war, local authorities have ruled.
According to Belgian media reports, Ghent mayor Mathias De Clercq took the decision on the advice of local police.
Gent will host the Israeli club on Feb. 21 in the second leg of their Conference League playoff.
“Based on police information, serious problems are expected,” said Thomas Dierckens, a spokesperson for Mayor De Clercq, as quoted by Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
“The KAA Gent Arena has no outer perimeter, which makes control difficult, and there is a good chance that public order in and around the stadium will be disrupted. This not only has consequences for the safety of fans and players, but also sporting consequences,” he said. “If the match is stopped for more than half an hour due to disruption, UEFA will give KAA Gent a forfeit score of 0-5.”
Protests calling for a cease-fire in the war have been taking place regularly in Ghent. Last week, pro-Palestinian activists reportedly disrupted the city’s New Year’s reception.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 24,400 Palestinians have died since the start of the war, and the United Nations says a quarter of the 2.3 million people trapped in Gaza are starving. In Israel, around 1,200 people were killed during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that sparked the war and saw some 250 people taken hostage by militants.
Israeli national and club teams have played all home games in neutral countries since October after UEFA ruled that Israel cannot host games in international competitions during the ongoing conflict with Hamas for security reasons.
The Israel men’s and women’s national teams have chosen to play home games in Felcsút, Hungary — at a stadium closely tied to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — and Maccabi Haifa played Europa League games in Larnaca, Cyprus, and Budapest.
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