Israel at War: The Impact on Football
Israel declared that it is at war on Saturday (Sunday in the U.S.) after Palestinian militants attacked the country and took a large number of hostages. The situation in Israel remains volatile. The Athletic assesses what it means for football.
What has been the impact on football?
The Israeli Premier League saw all weekend games postponed on Saturday morning owing to the security concerns felt across the country. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, home to four top-flight teams, were among those cities to be hit with rocket attacks across Saturday.
All foreign players and staff were told they would be free to flee Israel, among them Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Robbie Keane. It is thought Keane and his assistant Rory Delap were able to leave Israel via Greece over the weekend after it became clear training sessions and matches could no longer take place.
Monday then brought confirmation that the Israel Premier League would additionally postpone matches scheduled for the weekend of October 21-22 following on from the international break. Erez Kalfon, the chairman of the Israel Football League administration, said the inability to train as groups had for now made a resumption impossible. “We are in one of the most difficult times the state of Israel has ever known,” he said.
Michael Valkanis, the Australian head coach of Hapoel Tel Aviv, told of his shock on Saturday. “What should have been a celebration was instead an early morning wake-up call to the sirens of the attack that Israel received. I hope that this crisis will stop soon and that people will continue their daily lives.”
Lior Assoulin, the retired striker whose former clubs included Hapoel Tel Aviv, has been widely reported to have been among those killed at the Supernova festival.
Has this also become an issue for UEFA?
It has. Football’s European governing body, which has called Israel a member state since 1994, took the decision on Sunday to postpone a raft of fixtures due to be played there in the next fortnight, including the key Euro 2024 qualifier between Israel and Switzerland scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv on Thursday evening.
Israel’s under-21s qualifiers against Estonia and Germany were also called off, as well as an under-17s tournament between Israel, Belgium, Gibraltar, and Wales that had been due to run between this Wednesday and next Tuesday.
“In light of the current security situation in Israel, UEFA has decided to postpone all matches scheduled in Israel in the next couple of weeks with new dates to be confirmed in due course,” said UEFA, who are yet to make a decision on the proposed qualifier between Kosovo and Israel due to be played in Pristina on Sunday.
“UEFA will continue to closely monitor the situation and will remain in contact with all teams involved before making decisions on new dates and on potential changes to other upcoming fixtures.”
UEFA must also now decide how to proceed with the two Israeli clubs still in European competitions this season. Maccabi Haifa, last season’s Israeli title winners, remain in the Europa League, while Maccabi Tel Aviv have made it to the Conference League groups.
Both clubs are scheduled to have their next fixtures on October 26, with Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk due to travel to Tel Aviv to face Keane’s Maccabi side that night. UEFA previously allowed clubs in areas of conflict to stage home games in other countries, with Zorya Luhansk already hosting fixtures in Poland due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
What are the long-term implications for Israeli football?
Some clarity is likely to come when UEFA holds their latest Executive Committee meeting at their headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday. Top of the agenda had been the approval of a UK and Ireland joint bid to host Euro 2028, as well as the re-admission of Russian under-17s teams to UEFA competitions, but the immediate issues surrounding Israeli football will also now be discussed.
No decision has yet been made on the European Championship qualifier between Kosovo and Israel, but with the game against Switzerland already postponed, there will be logistical problems concluding Group I.
The November international break had been due to be the last point when qualifiers would be played, with a 12-team play-off to decide the final three participants of Euro 2024 set to be contested in March. Israel, currently third in Group I, are already assured of at least a play-off spot but could be left with the unlikely prospect of having to play four qualifiers next month if they are to fulfill their fixtures.
The Israeli Premier League, though, is facing a greater period of uncertainty as long as security dangers persist. Fixtures scheduled for the weekend of October 28-29 are yet to be postponed but question marks hang over the immediate feasibility of staging football matches in a country at war. “We support the security forces and the country’s residents in these difficult times,” said the Israeli Professional Football Leagues on Saturday.
In conclusion, the ongoing conflict in Israel has had a significant impact on football in the country. Both domestic and international fixtures have been postponed, and foreign players and staff have been allowed to leave. UEFA is closely monitoring the situation and will decide on new dates for the postponed matches. The long-term implications for Israeli football remain uncertain, and decisions will be made in the upcoming UEFA Executive Committee meeting. As the conflict continues, the Israeli Premier League faces an uncertain future, with question marks over the feasibility of staging matches in a country at war.