700 police officers sent to Valencia vs Maccabi Tel Aviv as it’s ‘high risk’
Spanish authorities have sent more than 700 police officers to Valencia against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the basketball Euro League.
Conflict has erupted on the Gaza Strip in the past week with Israeli forces clashing with Hamas over Palestinian independence. And amid the conflict, Israeli side Maccabi were set to welcome Valencia to Tel Aviv for their second leg.
However, after the conflict erupted, the tie was moved to Valencia, while Maccabi relocated their squad to Cyprus for training – travelling with a reinforced security team. And ahead of the clash 700 police officers were deployed ensure safety around the venue.
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Speaking ahead of the match, Valencia's head coach Alex Mumbru said: "We have to be a little supportive. If Maccabi comes with twelve players, with the families there, with the situation they live in, and they come to play, we shouldn't put any obstacles in place.
"The game is high-risk. There are many obvious things that we see every day, but we have to put a little sanity and tranquility in place. It will be a sporting event. What would not make sense is if it were not high-risk!"
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Maccabi wore black jerseys to mark the war going on in Israel and all the lives lost in the battles. However, they weren't able to pick up the win and they lost 66-75 in Spain.
Mumbru added: "There are things that are out of everyone's reach, like what happened yesterday in Brussels, but you have to convey peace of mind, try to think about sports, and leave non-sports things out."
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