Union Saint-Gilloise to host Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Germany

Union Saint-Gilloise will host Israeli side Hapoel Be'er Sheva in a Europa League match at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, rather than in Belgium. The decision follows a ban imposed by the Mayor of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani, who prohibited the Israeli club from visiting the city due to security concerns.

The match, scheduled for October 22, will be played behind closed doors without spectators. Union Saint-Gilloise noted that while they initially sought a venue closer to Brussels that could accommodate fans, security requirements made this impossible. The club chose Düsseldorf to minimize the travel impact on players and staff.

To compensate fans who purchased mini-subscriptions for the League Phase, the club is providing vouchers worth 25% of the subscription value, which will be automatically added to affected accounts within two weeks.