[Reuters]
An opening-round Europa League match between Thessaloniki club PAOK and Maccabi Tel Aviv will take place as scheduled tonight in Greece’s second city, after UEFA opted against banning Israeli teams from its competitions.
Calls from various groups, including football associations, had urged European soccer’s governing body to suspend Israel’s national and club sides over the conflict in the Middle East.
However, according to Israeli daily Israel Hayom, UEFA’s executive committee decided on Tuesday not to impose a ban, following international diplomatic pressure, including from the US.
UEFA has said no matches will be staged in Israel for the time being, but its teams may continue to compete in neutral venues. The next executive committee meeting is scheduled for December 3.
Alongside PAOK, Athens club Panathinaikos has also reached the 36-team league phase of Europe’s second-tier competition.