"We hope to have all the security guarantees"

BarcelonaThe basketball world is holding its breath a few days before the start of European competitions. The participation of Israeli teams is worrying for Catalan teams. Barça will play Hapoel Tel Aviv on Tuesday. The match, corresponding to the first day of the Euroleague, will be played in Sofia (Bulgaria). Joventut Badalona, ​​​​for its part, will face Hapoel Netanel Holon in Szombathely (Hungary). In addition, Baxi Manresa is scheduled to host Hapoel Jerusalem in a few days at the Nou Congost.

"We don't make these decisions. We hope, and we are convinced that this will be the case, that we have all the safety guarantees to play the games, whether we are away or home. We are in very serious competitions for this not to be the case. It's logical that there will be problems, but the right people are there to make the necessary decisions. What we athletes want is to work in the conditions that apply to us." Each of us has our opinion, but it doesn't depend on us," explains Joan Peñarroya, Barça coach.

The Euroleague, Europe's top competition, vetoed the participation of Russian groupsHowever, it will instead feature two Israeli teams. Maccabi Tel Aviv will play its home games in Belgrade, Serbia, while Hapoel Tel Aviv will typically play in Sofia and Samokov, Bulgaria. Both Israeli teams had sought to play in a country closer to their home country of Cyprus, but authorities rejected this possibility, concerned about the extensive security operations required for these matches. The precedent of the Vuelta has fueled fears.

"With a war like the one in Gaza, the world should stop and then go back. It's true that sport unites, but although there are conflicts of interest, we must look beyond that. As a people, we can raise our voices, but if those in power don't do things... This goes beyond sport," analyzes Ricky Ru.

Some Baxi Manresa cheerleading groups have already begun to mobilize. The Grada de Animación, Fuera Dudas, and Zona Roja groups issued a joint statement to express their rejection of Hapoel Jerusalem's presence at the Nou Congost while "the State of Israel is carrying out a genocide" in Gaza. "Human lives are infinitely more important than any sporting event. Therefore, we ask that this match not be played," they say. The club is concerned about the handling of this atypical situation and is demanding a clear position from the Eurocup organizers.

"The fans of Baloncesto Manresa have always been recognized for their defense of the values of peace and justice. Over the years we have denounced the injustices that affect both our community and the rest of the world, and we have shown that sport and our commitment always go hand in hand," they recall.

Sport, a tool for whitewashing

The debate has reached the political sphere. "Our position is clear: until the barbarism ceases, neither Russia nor Israel should be involved in any international competition. Israel cannot use any international platform to whitewash its presence. Sports institutions must consider whether it is ethical to keep Israel in international competitions," said Pedro Sánchez, president of the Spanish government. "Do you already have a new smokescreen? Will you withdraw Spanish teams from the Euroleague? Do you think we Spaniards can live with this populist instability?" questioned Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Popular Party.

The deputy general of Álava, Ramiro González, denounced the Euroleague's failure to exclude Israeli clubs from the competition. "What is happening in Gaza is no less serious than the Russian aggression in Ukraine and puts teams like Baskonia in difficult situations," he said.