Maccabi Raanana Tel Aviv has a new home in Europe. EuroLeague has announced that the Israeli club will play its home games at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, Cyprus, during the 2026-27 season and until further notice. The first game on the island will be on Matchday 11, November 12, against Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, a Tel Aviv derby that will be played roughly 300 kilometers from the city.
In its statement, the competition explained that Israeli teams continue to play home games at alternative venues due to the situation in the region, with the goal of ensuring the safety of players, coaches, and fans. EuroLeague will closely monitor the evolution of the situation and will communicate any changes when circumstances return to normal.
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Goodbye to Belgrade after three years
The move ends a long stint in Serbia. Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Maccabi had played its European games at the Aleksandar Nikolić arena in Belgrade. The move to Cyprus had been in the works since early October: Cypriot police gave their approval, the arena was inspected, and the debut was scheduled for October 22 against Real Madrid. In the end, that game was played in Belgrade, as was last week's loss to Paris Basketball, and the relocation has been delayed until Matchday 11.
The operation has not been straightforward. According to Cypriot media, the games will require around 500 police officers per match, and the island's government agreed to bill Maccabi for the cost of the security operation. The club is also covering the expenses of adapting the arena to EuroLeague requirements.
A change of scenery at a difficult time
Maccabi arrives at its new home during one of its worst recent starts, with two wins in nine matchdays. Its underlying goal remains to return to playing in Tel Aviv: if it fails to do so before January, the January 7 game against Panathinaikos will also be played in Limassol.