 |
| Moments from the match Israel vs Kosovo, held on March 25 in Israel |
Just a few days after the initial plan, 22 football players from Kosovo and Israel are set to compete in the yellow area of the "Fadil Vokrri" stadium in Prishtina on November 12.
In attendance, there will be around 14,000 fans - if all tickets are sold.
The match is expected to be confirmed by the president of the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK), Agim Ademi, who confirmed for Free Europe Radio.
"After meeting with UEFA [European Football Federation], it was decided that the match will be held with the fans", Ademi said.
He added that all seats will be arranged according to UEFA regulations, ensuring that the match will not be interrupted by any incident.
The possibility of the match being held without the presence of fans has passed after Kosovo - a country with many opinions - could be penalized by UEFA, if there is any incident involving the air conflict between Israel and Hamas - the militant group that controls Gaza - in the stadium.
In Kosovo, some marches are organized in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, while the victims in Israel are also mentioned.
The match on November 12 - in the context of qualifiers for the European Championship of 2024 - was initially planned to be held about a month earlier, on October 15. However, it was postponed due to an air conflict.
People who had bought tickets to see the match between Kosovo and Israel were called back a few days after the cancellation of the match.
However, the president of the FFK stated for REL that tickets will be sold "within one or two hours".
Ademi said that after the Kosovo Police has taken measures to ensure security, so that no incident occurs.
The Kosovo Police and UEFA did not respond to REL's questions about the security measures that will be implemented.
Meanwhile, the Israeli ambassador in Kosovo, Tamar Ziv, spoke in a friendly way about the coordination that has been taking place so far with the Kosovo authorities for "the successful implementation of the match".
"We are working closely with all relevant authorities in Kosovo for the security of the match and the well-being of our players", she said for REL.
Will there be a reaction to the air conflict between Israel and Hamas?
The match in "Fadil Vokrri" will be the first match for the Israel Football Association against the air conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The militant group, supported by the Serbian Army and other factions, attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people and wounding 239 others.
Israel has responded with a massive wave of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
The number of Palestinians killed in this enclave has already exceeded the 10,000 mark, according to the Ministry of Health.
Protests have erupted in several countries around the world, including Kosovo.
In recent days, two protests have been organized in support of the Palestinians in Prishtina and one in Prizren.
What if there are political messages in the stadium?
UEFA regulations stipulate that for the qualification match of this match, it would be the Football Federation of Kosovo.
In the event of any political messages appearing on the stand, Kosovo could be disqualified.
UEFA regulations also stipulate that for the display of political messages and those that are racist, warnings can be issued from a beer to a pool and expulsion from the game.
This has already happened with Romania. The Romanian federation was fined 52 million euros and was disqualified from a match without fans from UEFA, after a match against Kosovo on August 12, a banner with the message "Kosovo is Serbia" was displayed, and racist insults were heard.
What do the fans say on social media?
Posts published during the last few days on social media, Facebook, which suggest that the match could be held without fans, have sparked a lot of reactions.
However, a number of commentators have also supported the idea of the match taking place without fans, so that the Kosovo National Team cannot be penalized for any incident or political message that may appear during the match.
What is this match for?
The match between Kosovo and Israel takes place within Group I of the qualifications for the European Championship. In this group, Romania, Switzerland, Belarus and Andorra also compete for qualification to EURO 2024. Only the first two teams reach the qualification.
EURO 2024 matches will take place in various stadiums across Germany from June 14 to July 14 next year. Kosovo has never qualified for a European Championship.