While the Euro football, which is currently being played in Germany, thrills supporters from the four corners of Europe, supporters of the Red Devils had also noted in their diaries that a meeting against Israel was on the program, the September 6, at the King Baudouin stadium. A Nations League match organized by UEFA.
However, many questions remained about the meeting being held, because tickets had not yet gone on sale. We now know the reason: the authorities of the City of Brussels have been in consultation, for months, with the Belgian Football Union (URBSFA), the Brussels/Ixelles police zone and the federal government, to try to find a solution, before thinking of selling tickets.
Red Devils: no match between Belgium and Israel in Brussels? here’s why
At the heart of the discussions: the security situation and the risks generated by this type of football matches considered to be very high risk. To the point that the meeting will ultimately not take place at the King Baudouin stadium. This was indicated this Wednesday morning by the authorities of the City of Brussels.
The press release specifies that the police have already been called upon at a very high level since October 7, 2023 (the day of the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians, Editor’s note) to ensure the daily security of the city, “in particular to manage the very numerous demonstrations which are the consequence of these international tensions”. “Red Devils matches at the King Baudouin Stadium have always been moments of unity and unity. The humanitarian and security situation in Gaza and its numerous repercussions force the City of Brussels to notify the URBSFA that the organization of this match is not possible.”
Ask yourself the question of maintaining matches against countries at war
Contacted, the mayor of the City of Brussels, Philippe Close (PS) confirms that the decision was not taken hastily. “The question has arisen since the draw because our law enforcement agencies are already extremely mobilized. I remind you that we have to manage more than 1000 events per year – in addition to the increasing number of European summits. And then, the fight against drug trafficking mobilizes numerous meansexplains the mayor. These kinds of matches require such police mobilization that it becomes untenable.”
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And to cite the example of the European match which, in February, pitted La Gantoise against the Israeli club Maccabi Haifa and which, for security reasons, was held behind closed doors. “This clearly demonstrates the difficulty of managing such meetings. In Brussels, we studied the question. We had to respond to the Belgian Football Union. And our answer is that this will not be possible in our capital. Even with the best will in the world, the situation risks being untenable. I love football, but we don’t want to take security risks when our police are already very busy. If it has to manage this, it will be at the expense of other missions on the ground.”
The cancellation is therefore not linked to political reasons, we ask? “I have a political opinion on the subject, but I am not giving it here, because I am positioning myself from a security point of view, and nothing else.replies the mayor. We must ask UEFA the question of the interest of maintaining football matches against nations at war with the consequences that this may entail. Even Israel plays its home games elsewhere (in Hungary in particular, Editor’s note), for reasons related to what is happening there. Which clearly shows that it’s complicated for everyone. Other cities in Belgium can, if they are able, organize this meeting. But I think it will be very complicated. In any case, in Brussels, the limits have been reached.”
