Leuven mayor Mohamed Ridouani had previously blocked both the men's and women's national teams from facing Israel at Den Dreef. Regarding the decision to refuse to host Hapoel Beer-Sheva, he told Belgian broadcaster VRT: "I consistently draw the line there. We cannot guarantee safety."

Union SG were consequently left scrambling to secure an alternative venue for their Europa League fixture. The Brussels Times reports that the club had hoped to find a ground that would allow fans to attend but were unsuccessful in their efforts.

Dusseldorf Arena, usually home to Fortuna Dusseldorf, was ultimately chosen as the venue as it would cause the least disruption to the team's preparations, despite supporters being barred from attending. However, the Belgian club's head coach David Hubert, who also had a brief stint as a player at Hapoel Beer-Sheva, made his disappointment clear.

"We worked very hard to have four European matches to play at home in front of our fans," the Union SG boss said. "It's a situation that saddens me and is very unfortunate, but it's beyond my control.

When discussing their fixture against Union SG being played behind closed doors, Hapoel Beer-Sheva manager Ran Kozuch said: "It's very frustrating. Football is made for the fans and by the fans. It's sad, and it's something we'll miss. I would have preferred to play this match in a noisy atmosphere, but we have to deal with the situation."

Union SG midfielder Besfort Zeneli offered his views ahead of competing in a European fixture in an empty venue. "My first impression of the stadium? It's really nice, but nothing compares to Duden Park (Joseph Marien Stadium)," he said.

"It's still a big match. It's a European fixture, and I don't think you need any extra motivation for this kind of occasion."