The mayor of Alkmaar has barred Israeli fans from attending AZ Alkmaar's home Europa League match against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Anja Schouten made the decision based on safety advice, triggering an emergency debate in the city council scheduled for Monday evening.
The Europa League fixture on 15 October at the AFAS Stadium will proceed without away supporters. The so-called safety triangle of the municipality, police, and public prosecutor changed its position after consulting with Amsterdam, where riots occurred around an Ajax, Maccabi Tel Aviv match two years ago. The Alkmaar municipality stated that UEFA information assigns Hapoel Be'er Sheva's fan group a medium risk profile, but the geopolitical context raises the match to a very high-risk event.
Political reactions
Council member John van der Rhee of the VVD party is demanding clarification. "We have a custom in Alkmaar of warmly welcoming ordinary supporters to the city," he said. Faction leader Maaike Kardinaal of PRO Alkmaar fully supports the decision, pointing to signals that national groups and AZ's hardcore supporters, the BenSide, are mobilising.
The emergency debate is set for Monday, 5 October at 7:30 p.m. The mayor does not rule out additional safety measures for the Israeli team. AZ itself, currently top of the Eredivisie with 19 points from 7 games, is focusing on sporting preparations. The next major fixture is the top-of-the-table clash away to Feyenoord on 10 October. Fans can follow the current standings and upcoming fixtures on the club pages.
Read the full report at nhnieuws.nl
