On Wednesday AS Monaco will play the match that is seen by the basketball section as the most important in its existence. Roca Team will play Maccabi Tel Aviv in the fifth and decisive match of the EuroLeague play-off to qualify for the Final Four in Kaunas-Lithuania.
The atmosphere in the Salle Gaston Médecin will be huge with for sure more than 6,000 spectators. In the first two matches in Fontvieille Maccabi was supported by at least 600 fans, but this time Monaco has given only 150 tickets to the Israeli supporters.
Last week, attempts were made to intimidate the Roca Team by fanatical fans before the matches in Tel Aviv , who, among other things, stormed the players’ bus at the stadium. It did not lead to serious incidents, but the aggressive attitude of the fans is the reason for the Monegasque authorities not to allow more tickets to be made available. This decision has caused a lot of resentment among Maccabi’s fans, who will probably travel to the Principality in larger numbers anyway.
Maccabi have won the EuroLeague six times, but the last victory was in 2014. There is a lot at stake for the club from Israel, which is seen as a ‘disguised’ national team.
Monaco-players are asking their own fans to come to support them. Yakuba Ouattara asked on Twitter: “We really need you to put some fire in these 40 minutes to beat Maccabi. It will be the most important match ever played in Monaco.”
Maybe it is the biggest sporting event in Monaco since the football team played the semi-final in the Champions League against Juventus in 2017.
At the Stade Louis II there a few tickets still for sale, but no tickets are being sold via the internet to avoid some fans from Israel ‘stealing’ Monegasque fan tickets.
PHOTO: Mike James was singled out for a confetti strike and loud booing in Tel Aviv but says it only makes him stronger AS Monaco Basket
