Hapoel Jerusalem confirmed this week that their home games in this season's EuroCup will once again be played abroad, at the Ranko Žeravica Hall in Belgrade, Serbia — the same arena the club used for its European fixtures last season.
The club stressed the move is temporary, to remain in place "until further notice" from the competition's organisers. In its statement, Hapoel Jerusalem said it "continues to work and do everything in its power to return home games to Israel," adding that "there is nothing like seeing the arena painted red" — a reference to the club's colours and its hope to have its own fans back inside an Israeli hall for European nights.
The relocation extends an arrangement that has kept Israeli clubs playing their continental home fixtures on neutral, mostly European soil since the security situation following the war made European basketball authorities reluctant to send visiting teams and their travelling parties to Israel.
Hapoel Jerusalem open the new EuroCup campaign at home — in Belgrade — to Germany's Rostock Seawolves on September 29. Their group also includes Le Mans of France, San Pablo Burgos of Spain, Cedevita Ljubljana of Slovenia, Aris of Greece, Tortona of Italy and Riga of Latvia.
The Jerusalem club's history in the competition runs deep: they remain, together with Hapoel Tel Aviv, one of only two Israeli sides to have won it. Hapoel Jerusalem lifted the old ULEB Cup — the tournament's previous name — in 2004, beating Real Madrid 83-72 in Charleroi to claim the club's first European title. Hapoel Tel Aviv added Israel's second EuroCup crown last year.
Ranko Žeravica Hall, a roughly 5,000-seat arena in the New Belgrade district named after the late Yugoslav coaching great, has become a familiar stop for Israeli sides in recent seasons. For Hapoel Jerusalem's players and staff, the hope remains that the away-from-home routine will not last the length of the campaign.
