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Besiktas suffered a 3-1 defeat to Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 5th week of the UEFA Europa League, but the result has sparked outrage among Besiktas fans who are criticizing UEFA for relocating the match due to security concerns related to Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza.
Maccabi Tel Aviv took the lead in the 23rd minute through Gavriel Kanichowsky. Besiktas equalized in the 38th minute with a goal from Rafa Silva.
However, Maccabi Tel Aviv regained the lead just before halftime, scoring a second goal in added time to make it 2-1.
Maccabi Tel Aviv made it 3-1 with Weslley Patati's goal in the 81st minute.
Originally set to be played at Besiktas' home ground, the game was moved to Debrecen, Hungary, behind closed doors as a precaution against potential protests tied to the Israel's ongoing atrocities against Palestinians.
UEFA’s decision to play the match without fans has angered Besiktas supporters, who feel their team was unfairly deprived of its home advantage.
The match was relocated due to growing security concerns stemming from the backlash against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Fans of Besiktas, along with the wider Turkish football community, voiced their frustration, believing the team lost its home advantage because of the geopolitical tensions.
Maccabi Tel Aviv faced similar disturbances during their previous match in Amsterdam, where protests also disrupted their game.
2 min read
