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UEFA announced on Monday that due to ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East, Israel will not be allowed to host any European tournament matches until the situation changes and the opposite decision is made.
European football's governing body last week decided to move the first matches of Israeli teams in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round to other countries - Tel Aviv's "Hapoel" will play their home match against Slovenia's "Domžale" in Tilburg, Netherlands, while Tel Aviv's "Bnei Yehuda" will host the match against Bulgaria's Sofia "Lokomotiv" in Senec, Slovakia. The Israeli Football Association appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the appeal was rejected.
Immediately after the Champions League third qualifying round draw, the club which will most likely play their August 23rd match against Haifa in Ukraine, at Kiev's "Dynamo" stadium, also expressed their unwillingness to play in Israel. The club's president, Igor Surkis, has already granted permission for the teams to play the match there.
