Dubai Crown Prince Lifts Ban, Allowing Fans Free Entry vs Hapoel Tel Aviv
Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan intervened to lift a police ban on fans attending tonight's EuroLeague match against Hapoel Tel Aviv, granting free admission.
Hapoel Tel Aviv faces a surprising turn of events ahead of its EuroLeague matchup against Dubai, scheduled for Friday at 18:00, after local police initially mandated a match behind closed doors. The restriction was swiftly overturned following a direct intervention by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who acquired a stake in the club at the end of last season.
The sequence of events began earlier today when the Crown Prince inquired with Dubai club officials about attendance figures from the previous game against Paris. Learning of the turnout, he asked about expectations for the upcoming fixture against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Upon discovering that local police had ordered the game to be played in an empty arena, the Crown Prince stepped in personally to reverse the decision.
Sheikh Hamdan contacted the relevant authorities and made it clear that Dubai maintains positive relations with Israel and that there is no justification for barring fans from attending a match against an Israeli team. Although the ban was successfully lifted, EuroLeague regulations prohibit opening ticket sales on such short notice, prompting club management to grant free admission to any fan wishing to attend.
Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yannai personally called the Crown Prince to express his gratitude for the decisive intervention. The two officials are also expected to meet ahead of the tip-off this evening.
