Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team will play in its first European contest since the club's supporters were targeted in a wave of organized antisemitic violence following a 5-0 defeat to AFC Ajax earlier this month in Amsterdam.
The Thursday event, a scheduled UEFA Europa League match against Istanbul’s Beşiktaş J.K., will be played without spectators at Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, after officials from the Turkish government requested a venue change over security concerns.
Following an invitation from Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, Israel’s national team has held their home games in Hungary after UEFA suspended activities in the Jewish state due to the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
The head coach of the Israeli team, Zarko Lazetic, told reporters in a Wednesday news conference that his players will attempt to avoid external distractions and “try to focus on football.”
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