By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid will face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Playoffs. As is often the case with Israeli teams in Spain, the game has been the subject of controversy regarding the number of fans allowed to attend.
Real Madrid hosted both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv at the Movistar Arena, and no spectators were allowed in the stands. With the series between the two teams now in the postseason, Real Madrid supporters’ groups, led by the well-known Berserkers, have spoken out about the situation.
In a letter published on Saturday, April 18, the Berserkers emphasized that “it’s unacceptable that in the most anticipated games of the year, neither season ticket holders nor fans can support the team.” The large Real Madrid supporters’ group was not present at either of the two games against the Tel Aviv teams.
The series, which begins on Wednesday, April 29, will have at least two games at the Movistar Arena. They also point to the example of what is happening in several countries when Itoudis’s team takes to the court:
“It is regrettable that, supposedly, the safety of the fans cannot be guaranteed when in France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Serbia, and Lithuania, matches against Israeli teams are played with fans in attendance. And even in Spain, where, let’s remember, the match against Maccabi in Valencia was played with spectators. Therefore, it is not a security issue; it is a purely political issue with political repercussions.”
Read the full article here
