The EuroLeague says no to Israeli teams: less effort and less risk for Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna

Maccabi Tel Aviv, with the support of its cousins at Hapoel, is trying to bring the EuroLeague back to Israel, but for now, the conditions for the return of games are not in place. The Israeli club took stock of the situation following Saturday’s meeting with EuroLeague officials, confirming that home games will continue to be played outside the country.

Maccabi President Shimon Mizrahi and Sports Director Claudio Coldebella met in Abu Dhabi with EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno and Director of Competitions Diego Guijón. The focus of the discussion was the possibility of allowing the three Israeli teams competing in European competitions to return to playing at home: Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, and Hapoel Jerusalem in the EuroCup.

The meeting, however, did not result in any immediate changes. The situation related to the conflict in the Middle East and the international context still requires home games to be moved outside of Israel, as has been the case in recent seasons.

However, a new development is expected shortly. Bueno and Guijón are expected to travel to Israel in the next two weeks, at Maccabi’s invitation, to conduct a visit and assess the situation firsthand. This meeting could represent a further step toward a possible return of competitions to the country, although no decisions have been made in this regard at this time.

Until further notice, therefore, everything remains unchanged: Maccabi Tel Aviv will continue to play its home games in Belgrade, while Hapoel Tel Aviv will play in Sofia—two away games that are less taxing for Olimpia and Virtus and much less risky.