Freiburg's Football Clash Erupts Into Protests Over Israeli Team's Presence
Tensions ran high in Freiburg ahead of the football match between SC Freiburg and Maccabi Tel Aviv. While the home team secured a narrow 1-0 win, the game itself was overshadowed by protests, threats, and heated debates. Local businesses, activists, and fans found themselves caught in a wider conflict that stretched far beyond the pitch.
At the heart of the unrest was the Jaffa bar, an Israeli restaurant whose owner faced backlash after labelling a traditional dish as Israeli. Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered to call for the exclusion of Israeli teams from European competitions, leaving the city on edge.
The controversy began when Billal Aloge, owner of the Jaffa restaurant, listed baba ghanoush as an Israeli dish on his menu. This sparked a wave of death threats and a boycott campaign against his business. Originally an Arab eatery, the restaurant was rebranded as Israeli following the backlash.
In the lead-up to the match, Aloge rented a Freiburg tram to advertise his restaurant, but it was involved in a collision the day before the game. Police maintained a strong presence outside the Jaffa bar, with nearly ten patrol cars and motorcycles stationed nearby. Officers conducted body searches on visitors, reflecting the heightened security concerns.
Around 100 tickets were sold to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans for the away section, but few Israeli supporters gathered at the Jaffa bar, which had been intended as a meeting point. Instead, nearly 650 protesters assembled at the Platz der Alten Synagoge, demanding the exclusion of Israeli sports from Europe.
The Freiburg-based alliance Solidarity for Palestine took action by distributing cards with legal advice hotline numbers to Arab-owned businesses. This followed reports of alleged attacks by Maccabi fans in Amsterdam. The group also launched an online petition, calling for a ban on Maccabi supporters, the exclusion of Israel from European football, and for SC Freiburg to donate ticket revenues to Palestinian victims in Gaza. However, no details on the petition's support or impact were available.
When the match finally took place, SC Freiburg won 1-0. But the result felt secondary to the broader tensions that had gripped the city for days.
The match ended with a victory for SC Freiburg, yet the focus remained on the protests and threats that dominated the build-up. Local businesses, particularly the Jaffa restaurant, faced lasting repercussions from the dispute. The heavy police presence and public demonstrations highlighted the deep divisions surrounding the event.
The Solidarity for Palestine alliance continued its outreach, providing legal support to affected Arab-owned establishments. Meanwhile, calls for broader action against Israeli participation in European sports persisted, leaving the city to grapple with the aftermath of a contest that extended well beyond football.
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