The Belgian national team has decided not to hold a match against Israel on 6 September in the UEFA Nations League in Brussels due to potential protests and security risks for fans, teams and local residents.
The decision was announced by the Belgian capital's administration and published in a statement released by Reuters.
The reason was the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has sparked a series of protests and actions in Brussels, including sit-ins at universities, and disruption of connections with Israeli institutions.
The mayor's office emphasized that holding a match at this time, when the country is especially tense, would inevitably lead to mass demonstrations and counter-demonstrations. Ticket sales for the game were suspended back in May.
The Belgian national team is currently participating in the European Championship in Germany and suffered a defeat in the first match against Slovakia (0:1). The national team will play its next match against Romania on 22 June.