Several European clubs are seeking to refuse to face Israeli teams in continental competitions due to crimes committed by the Israeli occupation army.

It was reported that some clubs—unnamed—have inquired with UEFA whether there is a procedure allowing them to request avoiding matches against Israeli teams, noting that no official requests have been submitted yet, but the idea is being seriously considered.

Meanwhile, sources within UEFA confirmed that the organization has not received any official requests to refuse matches against Israeli teams, emphasizing that UEFA regulations do not permit such refusals.

The newspaper pointed out that Maccabi Tel Aviv’s participation in the 2025-2026 Europa League will pose significant security challenges, in addition to the possibility of protests and demonstrations from teams scheduled to play against them.

According to the draw, Maccabi Tel Aviv will play against Aston Villa (England), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Olympique Lyon (France), Bologna (Italy), Freiburg and Stuttgart (Germany), PAOK Saloniki (Greece), and Midtjylland (Denmark).

This potential move comes weeks after the Italian Football Coaches Association requested FIFA and UEFA to suspend Israeli teams from international competitions due to the genocide war Israel is waging in Palestine.

The Times highlighted many questions about why Russia was excluded from international competitions due to its war on Ukraine, while no similar action has been taken against Israel, which has killed and injured tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians over the past 22 months.

The Norwegian Football Federation announced it will donate the proceeds from its upcoming World Cup 2026 European qualifier match against Israel, scheduled to take place in Oslo on October 11, to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza.