Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

Read more

Belgian football club Union Saint-Gilloise will have to find an alternative venue for its Europa League home fixture after authorities in Leuven refused permission for the match to be played at the city’s stadium.

The Belgian league runner-up had planned to play all four of its European home matches in Leuven because its own stadium in Brussels does not meet UEFA requirements for European competitions.

Leuven Mayor Mohamed Ridouani said Monday evening that the city would not authorize the match, citing public safety concerns, even if the stadium were to be closed to spectators.

Ridouani said the decision was consistent with Leuven’s previous position on hosting matches involving Israel, noting that the city has also opposed Belgium’s national teams playing against Israel in Leuven.

UEFA said Tuesday that it had been informed of the city’s position regarding the Europa League fixture.

“It’s the duty of the host club to find an alternative venue,” UEFA said, referring to Union Saint-Gilloise’s responsibility to arrange another stadium. The European football governing body added that the replacement venue would be announced “in the coming days.”

The development comes against the backdrop of UEFA’s security arrangements following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Since then, Israeli clubs and national teams have been required to play their European home fixtures at neutral venues.

Hapoel Beer-Sheva, for example, played its home matches in Hungary and Romania during this season’s Champions League qualifying rounds.

However, the relocation of an Israeli team’s away fixture because of a host city’s position is considered unusual.

Union Saint-Gilloise must now secure a venue that meets UEFA standards and is approved to host the Europa League fixture.