Maccabi fans disrespect moment of silence for Spanish flood victims
8. November 2024
(foto: Getty Images)
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans disrupted a moment of silence for Spanish flood victims, chanting and setting off firecrackers before their Europa League match against Ajax in Amsterdam.
Fans of
Maccabi Tel Aviv showed a lack of respect during a
minute of silence held in memory of the
over 200 people who lost their lives in recent catastrophic floods in
Spain. As reported by Spanish outlets
Marca and
AS, Maccabi fans chose to chant and set off firecrackers instead of observing the tribute before the Europa League match against
Ajax in
Amsterdam.
"Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam, ahead of the game against Ajax, did not respect the minute of silence for the victims of the deadly storm in Spain. Instead, they chanted and set off firecrackers," reported Marca, sharing a video of the incident on their website.
AS also shared footage from the stadium, stating that
Maccabi ultras had
“sabotaged the minute of silence” dedicated to those who died in the
Valencia region. The severe flooding in southeastern Spain claimed the lives of at least
219 people, with around
80 still missing as torrents swept through villages and towns.
All European matches this week began with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of Spain’s worst natural disaster in decades. Many athletes expressed condolences, and some Spanish league games were postponed due to the devastation.
In addition to the disruption inside the stadium,
Maccabi fans reportedly chanted offensive slogans against
Palestine on the streets of
Amsterdam and were seen removing a Palestinian flag from a building window, as documented in videos shared by Spanish media. The incident occurs against a backdrop of growing European support for Palestinian statehood, with
Spain,
Slovenia,
Ireland, and
Norway formally recognizing Palestine within the 1967 borders and urging Israel to withdraw from occupied territories.
Ajax went on to defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv with a decisive
5-0 scoreline in the Europa League clash.