Free Republic

Nov. 20, 2003 UEFA postpones Maccabi Haifa's Turkey match By OFER RONEN-ABELS European football governing body UEFA decided to postpone Maccabi Haifa's return leg with Valencia which was set to take place in Izmir on Thursday by one week. UEFA's decision was reached after lengthy discussions at the orgenizations' headquarters in Nyon following the terrorist attacks in Istanbul on Thursday. Haifa's designated home venue for the match is Izmir because UEFA doesn't allow European matches to take place here in Israel. But, the staging of matches in Turkey had come into some question after Saturday's two bombings on Istanbul synagogues....

Soccer Monday, July 14, 2003Israel Wants International Games Back NYON, Switzerland (AP) - Israel's foreign minister urged European soccer officials Monday to allow his country to hold international games after a gap of almost two years. ``I think it would be a very good signal to the people of the state of Israel,'' Silvan Shalom said. International soccer games are banned in Israel because of security concerns. Shalom said he told Gerhard Aigner, the chief executive for European soccer, and other officials that a cease fire and the Middle East peace process have restored stability to the country. Shalom said...