United asked to help lift ban

Ian McGarry|Daily Mail13 April 2012

Manchester United are under renewed political pressure to play their Champions League match against Maccabi Haifa in Israel.

Sportsmail can reveal that United have been lobbied by their Israeli opponents to support a plea to UEFA to lift the ban on European club competition matches being played in the troubled country.

Furthermore, the chairman of the Israel Football Association, Gavri Levi, has made a plea to UEFA president Lennart Johansson by letter in a bid to ensure that United make the trip.

Games involving Israeli clubs have been played in Cyprus since the middle of last season and United are due to meet Haifa in Nicosia, Cyprus, on October 29 for their Champions League Group F match.

Haifa have until midnight tonight to submit an application to change the venue for their games, but sources at UEFA were sceptical about the chance of authorisation being granted in time for the first group phase, which begins in two weeks.

UEFA reviews the situation on a round-byround basis and it is highly unlikely that it will hastily undertake to reverse a decision that involves the securitysensitive Middle East.

Levi has also asked the FA for its support and his letter to Johansson stated that visiting teams could be guaranteed the same level of safety in Israel as they could in Cyprus or Malta.

The IFA letter also points out that bombs have exploded in Belfast and Madrid when European matches have been due to take place but those venues have not been affected.

Sir Alex Ferguson is reported to have given his support to the match being played in Haifa and has insisted that he would be prepared to go to Israel to watch his team's opponents.

'I am surprised that you are not allowed to host your matches in Israel. I don't understand why we will have to play Haifa in Cyprus,' he was quoted as saying in the The Jerusalem Post.

'If the decision was mine, I would travel to Israel with my players and show that I'm not afraid,' he added.