Maccabi Tel Aviv set to stage EuroLeague home games in Limassol, starting November 12

Limassol, Cyprus. Maccabi Tel Aviv are scheduled to play their EuroLeague home fixtures at the Spyros Kyprianou arena, beginning with the Tel Aviv derby against Hapoel on November 12. Neither the club nor the EuroLeague has officially confirmed the arrangement.

Ticket plans and fixtures

Plans for each match allocate 3,000 tickets to Maccabi supporters, 1,500 to the Cypriot public and 100 to followers of the visiting team. Final spectator arrangements have not been agreed.

Maccabi continue to seek EuroLeague permission to go back to their home venue in Israel. If the competition does not agree by January, the January 7 fixture against Panathinaikos will also take place in Limassol.

The Cyprus Mail was told that the EuroLeague first opposed a move to Cyprus because of its sponsorship agreement with Turkish Airlines.

Police coordination

Local media reported that a Maccabi representative held a telephone conversation with one of the deputy police chiefs about the team’s presence and the organisation of the matches. From Monday, a designated police liaison is due to work with the club’s managers at police headquarters level on the number of visitors and their movements.

A video conference with Maccabi officials is planned to finalise the details of police cover. The club is expected to send an official letter within days about the movements of fans and the team.

Background

Maccabi were due to host Real Madrid in Limassol on October 22, but that game was played at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade. The club has used that venue as its home court since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.

Maccabi formally asked Cyprus to host the games in a letter to President Nikos Christodoulides dated September 22. Between 12 and 15 home matches were expected in Limassol, depending on how far the club advanced.

Police unions’ concerns

Police unions have warned that the matches would require about 500 officers. They described the task as a “huge additional responsibility” for a force that already lacks staff.