From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Barcelona rejects request from Israeli basketball team to train at its facilities
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Barcelona has rejected a request from an Israeli basketball team to train at its facilities next week, a club source confirms to AFP.
The Catalan club says it was for logistical and public order reasons that they would not allow the team to train on their Palau Blaugrana court before a match against Baxi Manresa on October 15 in the EuroCup competition.
“We don’t want to have any problems,” explains the club source, after an increase in protests against Israel because of the Gaza war.
The source says preparations are also scheduled to begin for a Barca handball match in the Champions League that day, and that Manresa were obliged to allow their opponents’ use of their court.
Valencia Basket is due to face Hapoel Tel Aviv, another Israeli team, in the EuroLeague competition on the same day.
The pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel BDS movement, calling for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, has called for that match to be canceled.
Spain’s government has labeled Israel’s actions a “genocide,” and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called last month for Israeli teams to be excluded from international sport.
Israel has strongly denied accusations of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.