For their sixth match in the Nations League, the Red Devils will be able to count on the vocal support of 160 compatriots. Despite recent incidents following a match between Ajax and Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, no increased risk has been identified.
Due to the war in their country, Israel plays its “home” Nations League matches in Hungary. It is notable that this was also the case for the Belgium-Israel match on September 6. Initially, this meeting was to take place at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, but the city deemed the risk too high. Other Belgian cities such as Antwerp, Bruges, Leuven, Genk and Liège also refused to host the event. In consultation with UEFA, it was therefore decided that the match would be played without an audience at the Nagyerdei stadium in the Hungarian city of Debrecen. For the away match, 160 Belgian supporters will ultimately travel to support the national team at the Bozsik Arena in Budapest.
Last week, on November 7, serious incidents broke out in Amsterdam after the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Israeli fans were attacked, assaulted and targeted with fireworks in different parts of the city. Groups of pro-Palestinian protesters reportedly specifically targeted Israeli fans in retaliation for the conflict in Gaza, causing at least five Maccabi supporters to be injured. Amsterdam police made 62 arrests following the riots. This weekend, a similar incident took place in Antwerp, where a cyclist was attacked in the Jewish quarter. A 17-year-old boy had shortly before launched an online call for violence against Jews.
High risk match
What about fan safety around the match against Israel? “All Ukraine and Israel matches are currently considered high-risk matches, and this also applies to our match,” explains Marie Verbeke, spokesperson for the Royal Belgian Football Union. “We are in contact with the Hungarian and Israeli security services. Of course, we cannot give details on the security measures, but the security analysis shows that there is no increased risk for the Red Devils match in Budapest following the incidents in Amsterdam. »
