EuroLeague Israeli clubs venue negotiations

Israeli EuroLeague clubs, including Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, have been playing their seasons away from Israel due to the ongoing security situation. To address this, EuroLeague executives Chus Bueno and Diego Guillén scheduled a visit to Tel Aviv to assess whether teams can return to their home arenas.

Maccabi Tel Aviv has considered using venues in Cyprus, such as Spyros Kyprianou in Limassol or Tassos Papadopoulos – Eleftheria in Nicosia, as potential permanent locations for home games. Following the executive visit, Hapoel Tel Aviv management, including owner Ofer Yanai and President Stav Saham, held negotiations with EuroLeague leadership to discuss the specific conditions required to host matches in front of home fans again.

Recent negotiations between club officials and EuroLeague leadership, including CEO Chus Bueno and Competition Director Diego Guillén, have reportedly occurred in a “positive atmosphere.” During these meetings, ambassadors provided briefings on the security situation, highlighting a return to normal daily routines to support the case for resuming home matches. Players such as Vasilije Micić, Tomas Satoranski, and Zach LeDay are expected to participate in further dialogues to bolster these efforts.

Despite these discussions, a rapid change in EuroLeague policy remains uncertain due to the ongoing military and political situation in the Middle East. Currently, Maccabi Tel Aviv is playing home games in Belgrade with plans to move to Cyprus, while Hapoel Tel Aviv is using Sofia as a temporary home.