Fenerbahce games against Israeli sides moved to Munich

Due to security concerns, Fenerbahce’s home EuroLeague games against Israeli sides Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv will be moved to Germany.

The Turkish teams were supposed to host Istanbul on November 11 and 13, but the matches will now be held in Munich on the same dates because of what Fenerbahce claimed were security measures put in place by Turkish authorities.

Fenerbahce stated that the games would be “open to the participation of our fans” at SAP Garden in the German city.

The defending champions of the EuroLeague had to move two games from Istanbul, Lithuania, to the new venue last year.

Since Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza on October 7, 2023 in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated.

Since then, Turkey has witnessed significant anti-Israel demonstrations.

Fenerbahce and Efes Istanbul, along with other EuroLeague teams, criticized the tournament’s organizers’ decision to allow Israeli clubs to resume home games starting December 1st.

Since October 2023, the Israeli teams have been playing their home games in the EuroLeague and EuroCup abroad.

The latest in a long line of incidents involving the Israel-Gaza war has had an impact on sports.

A decision was made earlier this month to prevent Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from watching Aston Villa play in Birmingham on November 6th on safety.

Before Maccabi’s match against Ajax in the same competition in November of last year, violence also erupted.

The Israel national football team’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Norway and Italy this month also attracted protests.