The European soccer association UEFA punishes Maccabi Tel Aviv by ordering the Israeli club to play a Europa League home game in an empty stadium after fans lit fireworks at a game last week.
Maccabi hosts CSKA Sofia on Thursday at the same stadium in Batumi, Georgia, where the team beat Sheriff Tiraspol 1-0 last week.
Israeli national and club teams have had to choose neutral countries to host games in UEFA competitions for security reasons since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre launched the Gaza war and conflicts on other fronts.
Maccabi must pay a fine of 40,000 euros ($46,000) and play its next home game “behind closed doors,” UEFA says in an urgent ruling by its appeal panel.
The attendance was 1,012 when Maccabi hosted Moldova’s Sheriff last Thursday in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
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