Belgian soccer pauses ticket sales for Israel game amid security fears
BRUSSELS (AP) — Ticket sales for a Belgium-Israel match in Brussels in the UEFA Nations League have been paused because of security concerns.
The game is scheduled for Sept. 6 at King Baudouin Stadium.
“The Royal Belgian Football Union is in constant contact with the security services, the city of Brussels and the federal government,” the soccer body said in a statement on Thursday. “The security situation is being analyzed and developments are being closely monitored.”
Federation CEO Piet Vandendriessche said, “Safety comes first, always.”
Ticket sales for other Belgium home matches against France on Oct. 14 and Italy on Nov. 14 are going ahead as planned.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators have repeatedly taken to the streets of Brussels since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
Belgium has been hit repeatedly by extremist attacks. Last year, a soccer game between Belgium and Sweden was suspended at halftime following a gunman fatally shooting two Swedes in Brussels before kickoff.
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