The Euroleague explores its return to Israel with an official visit

The executive director of the Euroleague, Chus Bueno, and the competitions director, Diego Guillén, have made an official visit to Israel to explore the possibility of local clubs returning to play their European competition matches on Israeli territory. The delegation attended the inaugural match of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the domestic league for the 2026-27 season, where the team from the capital defeated Galil Elion 120-93 on Saturday night.

Strategic meetings with Israeli clubs

The Maccabi Tel Aviv was the first to organize a meeting with representatives from the Euroleague. According to the announcement posted by the club on social media on Sunday, the meeting included participation from European ambassadors and Maccabi officials. During the conversation, the ambassadors shared their perceptions with Bueno and Guillén regarding the sense of security and the normalcy of daily life in Israel currently.

The Hapoel Tel Aviv also held its own meeting with the leaders of the continental competition. The club owner, Ofer Yanai, and the president, Satiav Sacham, met with Bueno and Guillén on Sunday morning in Tel Aviv. The parties specifically discussed the return of Euroleague matches to Israel, with the conversation reportedly taking place in a positive atmosphere, as communicated by the club.

Participation of players and executives

The delegation from Hapoel Tel Aviv later expanded its meetings with representatives from the Euroleague. The club owner, Gili Raanan, president Satiav Sacham, and general director George Hinas met with Bueno and Guillén accompanied by players Vasilije Micic, Tomas Satoransky, and Zach LeDay. This involvement of internationally renowned athletes emphasizes the importance both clubs place on these negotiations.

The presence of these three players in the discussions reflects Hapoel's commitment to the project of returning to Israel. Micic, Satoransky, and LeDay represent the competitive level that Israeli teams bring to the Euroleague, and their participation in these meetings evidences the clubs' willingness to normalize their situation in the competition.

Obstacles and current reality

Despite these diplomatic efforts and positive conversations, the geopolitical situation in the Middle East continues to affect the feasibility of Israeli teams playing at home. Due to the current situation in the region, international matches are not being held in Israel, significantly complicating the prospect of this circumstance changing in the near future.

This reality forces Israeli clubs to seek alternative solutions for their home games. The Maccabi Tel Aviv is currently using Belgrade, Serbia, as a venue for its home Euroleague matches, although it intends to move to Cyprus in upcoming seasons. Meanwhile, Hapoel Tel Aviv has been playing its home matches in Sofia, Bulgaria, for some time.

Future prospects for the European competition

The visit of Bueno and Guillén to Israel represents a significant gesture from the Euroleague towards Israeli clubs. Although the conversations have taken place in a positive environment, the political and security reality in the Middle East maintains a significant barrier to the immediate return of matches to Israeli territory.

The meetings held demonstrate that both the Euroleague and the Israeli clubs are keeping channels of dialogue open and are attentive to any changes in the situation that would allow the normalization of the competition. Maccabi's initiative to facilitate these meetings and the participation of European ambassadors highlight the diplomatic efforts to create the necessary conditions.

For the moment, the solution of playing outside of Israel remains the only viable option for Maccabi and Hapoel to continue participating in the Euroleague. The changes of venue to Belgrade, Cyprus, and Sofia allow these clubs to maintain their presence in the continental competition, although without the advantage of playing in their usual facilities before their fans.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La Euroliga explora su retorno a Israel con una visita oficial