Police to assess security risks for Maccabi Euroleague fixtures

Police will judge the security risk of every Maccabi Tel Aviv home game on its own merits, spokesman Vyron Vyronas said on Friday, as Limassol prepares to host the Israeli club’s Euroleague basketball fixtures. “Police have assessed all relevant security parameters and have put in place the necessary operational planning,” Vyronas informed the Cyprus Mail. “Each match will be assessed individually, and security measures will be adjusted according to the circumstances and the relevant risk assessment.” He said the priority was “the safe conduct of the matches” and the protection of athletes, fans and the wider public. The same case by case approach will apply to measures outside the Spyros Kyprianou arena before each game. Police will cover the areas outside the venue, whilst a private Cypriot company hired by Maccabi will handle security within. No foreign police force Vyronas assured there was “no question of a foreign police force taking part in the operation”. The cost of policing has not been disclosed, and police declined to comment on whether Maccabi will meet it. Up to 4,500 spectators are expected initially, with that figure covering 3,000 Maccabi supporters and 1,500 tickets for Cyprus residents who hold a fan card. Fixtures against Olympiacos and Panathinaikos may require different arrangements so that Maccabi fans are not seated alongside supporters of the Greek sides. Maccabi supporters will not travel to Cyprus as an organised group and will make their own arrangements. The team will arrive in Limassol the day before each game and leave immediately afterwards due its commitments in the Israeli league. The sports organisation (KOA) chairman Yiannis Ioannou confirmed that the arena, which holds 8,000, was “ready to use”. Maccabi will itself be responsible for installing the special equipment required for Euroleague games. First game October 22 The first game will be against Real Madrid on October 22, with Paris Basketball, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Olympiacos, Dubai Basketball and Zalgiris Kaunas following before the end of the year. Between 12 and 15 matches are expected in Limassol depending on how far the club progresses. A top ten finish in the 20-team league would bring playoff fixtures in April and May. The Turkish team Anadolu Efes is expected on December 23, followed subsequently by Fenerbahce on April 1. Speaking to the Cyprus Mail in regard to such games against Turkish clubs, Vyronas said all Turkish players must arrive through government-controlled airports at Larnaca or Paphos. He confirmed that requests from Turkish Cypriot supporters wishing to attend will be assessed according to the risk of each match. AEL, which uses the Spyros Kyprianou stadium as its home ground, stressed that it was not objecting to Maccabi’s presence itself but to the manner in which the decision was made, and said it now has to rearrange its competitive and training schedule. It has asked the football association (CFA) to protect its clubs and the championship, with the body itself insisting that it was never consulted as the stadium is managed exclusively by KOA. Maccabi formally asked Cyprus on September 22 to host its home games, in a letter to President Nikos Christodoulides. The request followed the club’s participation in the Neophytos Chandriotis tournament in Nicosia, which tested facilities, transport and policing. Cyprus is understood to have turned down a similar request in June 2025 after police raised concerns that they could not guarantee safety at such events. Maccabi was one of five Israeli basketball teams that played home games in Cyprus behind closed doors after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. The government later changed its position on hosting such fixtures amid security concerns. The basketball club has played in Belgrade for the past three years. It finished 12th last season and has lost its first three games this campaign.