Union SG's home stadium does not meet the European requirements, which has led to the decision to play the match in a different location. The Leuven mayor, Mohamed Ridouani, has banned the match from being played in Leuven. "Union is welcome here, but in this case, it's about an Israeli team and I'm consistent in that," he said. "I've previously refused that the Red Flames would play here against Israel and the Red Devils also had to find an alternative." The match will be played in the stadium of OH Leuven.
Union SG will now have to find a new venue for the match, but it's clear that the match will not be played in Belgium. "We've contacted almost all clubs in Belgium, but it's been impossible to organize the match and we respect that," said Union CEO Philippe Bormans. The club is currently looking at options in Germany and the UEFA has also offered solutions, but Union is trying to find a solution on their own.
The match is likely to be played behind closed doors, which means the home advantage will be lost.