From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Belgian soccer union pauses ticket sales for game vs Israel, citing security fears
Ticket sales for an Israel-Belgium soccer match in Brussels in the UEFA Nations League have been paused due to security concerns.
The game is scheduled for September 6 at King Baudouin Stadium.
“The Royal Belgian Football Union is in constant contact with the security services, the city of Brussels and the federal government,” the soccer body says in a statement. “The security situation is being analyzed and developments are being closely monitored.”
Federation CEO Piet Vandendriessche says: “Safety comes first, always.”
Ticket sales for other Belgium home matches against France on October 14 and Italy on November 14 are going ahead as planned.
Hundreds of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have repeatedly taken to the streets of Brussels since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Belgium has been hit repeatedly by extremist attacks. Last year, a soccer game between Belgium and Sweden was suspended at halftime following a gunman fatally shooting two Swedes in Brussels before kickoff.
