Nanterre 92 will host Israeli club Hapoel Holon behind closed doors

Finally, no public between Nanterre 92 and Hapoël Holon. The stands of the Palais des Sports de Maurice-Thorez will be empty this Wednesday evening. The match between the Ile-de-France club and the Israeli club Hapoel Holon in the Basketball Champions League will ultimately be played behind closed doors.

The decision has just been taken by Nanterre town hall. An order was issued this Monday to prohibit the presence of the public in the Hauts-de-Seine area. A decision justified by “the particularly tense national and international geopolitical context resulting from the situation in the Middle East”. The town hall speaks of “increasing rise in tensions around the upcoming holding of the match”referring to the petitions on the networks calling for a boycott, the “threat and intimidation messages” sent directly to players or “the massive purchase of seats outside the usual sales channel which does not allow Nanterre 92 to identify at-risk profiles and ensure the safety of spectators in the stands”. The order also mentions several incidents that have occurred within the club in recent days.

Risk of excesses and clashes

It is a particular atmosphere which has been hovering for several days within the city of Nanterre, its mayor Raphaël Adam fears provocations and possible clashes between supporters during the meeting. Two demonstrations against the holding of this match are still planned for this Tuesday and Wednesday, after that of last Saturday.

The cited text is also based on the clashes which took place on the sidelines of the football match between France and Israel on November 14 at the Stade de France, as well as the violence before the Europa League match between Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv on the night of November 7 to 8 in Amsterdam. For all these reasons, no spectator will be able to attend Nanterre-Hapoël Holon. Only members of both teams, authorized personnel and accredited people will be able to access the room.