Leuven Mayor Bars UEFA Europa League Match Between Union Saint-Gilloise and Hapoel Be’er Sheva Over Security Concerns

Leuven Mayor Mohamed Ridouani barred a UEFA Europa League match between Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise and Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva from taking place in the city, citing security concerns.

Ridouani said the decision was not motivated by opposition to Israel or antisemitism, but by concerns over public safety and the potential for protests linked to the war in Gaza.

“I consistently draw the line there. We cannot guarantee safety,” the mayor told Belgian broadcaster VRT. Ridouani also categorically rejected the possibility of hosting the match behind closed doors.

Violence and hooliganism are not uncommon at European-level football matches, nor are occasional orders that games should take place in neutral venues, behind closed doors or with certain fans banned from attending for safety reasons.

The war in Gaza, though, has politicized such decisions as they relate to Israeli clubs, at the same time as exacerbating tensions around the visits of Israeli fans to some parts of Europe.

In Amsterdam in November 2024, supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv were involved in violence across the city before and after a match with Ajax, with dozens of arrests and several people hospitalized.

Keeping boisterous groups of opposing teams’ football fans away from each other and under control is already a challenge for police, and adding the potential for political, antisemitic and racist provocation into the mix stretches their ability to keep the peace.

“We have full confidence in the Belgian security authorities and their ability to ensure that a football match can take place safely and securely,” said the Israeli embassy in Brussels. “Should assistance be required, Israel would be happy to provide it.”

This is not the first time Belgian authorities have blocked a match involving an Israeli team on security grounds. In 2024, Brussels refused to host Belgium’s Nations League game against Israel, citing the risk of major demonstrations and counter-demonstrations. The game was eventually moved to Debrecen, Hungary, and played behind closed doors. Ridouani had also previously refused to allow both the Belgian women’s and men’s national teams to play Israel at Leuven’s Den Dreef stadium.

U.K. club Aston Villa, when facing Maccabi in October 2025, was told by local authorities not to allow any away supporters to attend the game at the ground in Birmingham. The decision caused political controversy but ultimately prevented the feared disorder from taking place, as Maccabi declined to send fans to the game even if the decision were to be overturned.

While fans of Israeli champions Hapoel Be’er Sheva don’t have such a fearsome reputation for hooliganism as Maccabi’s, the political tensions remain. The club plays its home games around 20 miles Gaza strip.

USG is using Leuven’s Den Dreef stadium this season because its own Brussels ground does not meet UEFA requirements. It will now have to find an alternative venue for the home match, scheduled for Oct. 22.

Joe Stanley-Smith contributed to this report. This article has been updated with a statement from the Israeli embassy in Brussels.