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IFA To Appeal UEFA Ruling About Location

UEFA`s decision to move European soccer games away from Israel is not accepted by the Israeli Soccer Association, and the organization is planning to appeal. UEFA decided that due to the situation in Lebanon, Israel is currently an unsafe location for European league games.

The Israeli Soccer Association is sending a special delegation to Switzerland to address the European soccer`s governing body. There are four Israeli clubs scheduled to play in UEFA`s tournament and the Israeli Soccer Association has instructed them to find alternatives for home games.

One of the big name teams that is scheduled to play on the of the Israeli clubs, Maccabi Haifa, is Liverpool. "There is no way we should be going to Israel to play a game of football at this time," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said on the team`s Web site last week. "It`s crazy to even consider it." IFA chairperson, Iche Menachem, said in response "If there were attacks in London ... and I said I don`t want to go there, you think I wouldn`t have to go?" he asked.