Belgium to Host Israel Behind Closed Doors

Belgium star

Belgium’s home match against Israel in the Nations League will take place behind closed doors in Debrecen, Hungary on 6 September.

The Belgian Football Federation (RBFA) had been searching for a new venue after the city of Brussels said it was “impossible” to host the fixture because of security fears.

Other Belgian cities also refused to host the match.

The Israel-Gaza conflict has sparked global demonstrations, including in Belgium.

“Given that in Belgium, no local authority considered it possible to organise the home match of the Red Devils against Israel, the RBFA had to look for a solution abroad,” the federation said.

Most of the home fixtures for the Belgian national team are played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.

In October, a gunman killed two Swedish people before a Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden at the stadium.

The fixture was later abandoned at half-time for security reasons.

Belgian prosecutors initially said there did not appear to be any link between the attack and the Israel-Gaza war, but later said they could not exclude that possibility.

France and Italy are in the same Nations League Group A2 as Belgium and Israel.

Fifa is currently considering a proposal from the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) to suspend Israel from competing on the international stage.

The PFA submitted its case in May but Fifa will not make a final decision until after the Paris Olympics, which run between 26 July and 11 August.

Football’s world governing body said the legal discussions surrounding the case will be shared with its council on 31 August.

‘Following requests for extension from both parties to submit their respective positions, duly granted by Fifa, more time is needed to conclude this process with due care and completeness,” Fifa said on X.

Israel will play Mali, Paraguay and Japan in the group phase of the 2024 Olympics.

Source: BBC

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Ignatius Aboagye-Dacosta is a Ghanaian digital media entrepreneur, football content creator, and sports marketing professional with a strong focus on African and global football. He is the founder and editor of SoccaNews.com, a football news platform launched in 2019 and rebranded from 433Ghana, committed to delivering timely news, player profiles, match analysis, and insightful football stories. Ignatius has built a solid reputation in digital publishing and social media growth, managing multiple sports and entertainment platforms that amplify African football narratives to a global audience. His work blends journalism, branding, and audience engagement, with a clear passion for promoting Ghanaian and African football talents worldwide. In addition to media, Ignatius currently serves as the Operations Manager at Global Fish Link Limited, a Tema-based company, where he oversees daily operations, coordination, and strategic execution. This role has strengthened his expertise in business operations, logistics, and organizational management. Through his media platforms and professional engagements, Ignatius continues to contribute to the growth of digital sports journalism and sports business in Africa.
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