Miki Zohar: 'I asked EuroLeague to return games to Israel'

Will EuroLeague games return to Israel? At least at the start of the season, it appears the answer is negative, but there is a high probability that at a relatively early stage of the season, Israeli representatives will take the court at home.

After EuroLeague announced that the Supercup tournament would be held in Abu Dhabi, Maccabi Tel Aviv approached the competition demanding a renewed discussion on returning games to Israel, which suffered a less significant blow than the Emirates and has been quiet for a longer period than they have. EuroLeague did not officially reply, but according to several sources, a discussion on the matter is expected to be held in less than two weeks.

Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem are also monitoring the situation and have conveyed messages to EuroLeague as part of their efforts to obtain a franchise ahead of the structural change in the competition. The Reds know that as long as they are not playing in Israel, their chances of receiving a license could be harmed.

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar confirmed at a Tennis Association event that he had sent a letter to EuroLeague leadership requesting that games be returned to Israel.

As recalled, last year the games returned to Israel at the beginning of December, after two years and two months. The Israeli teams hosted games in the EuroLeague and EuroCup for a little over two months until the war with Iran broke out, after which they finished the season outside Israel's borders.

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