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Norwegian soccer champions Bodø/Glimt announced on Friday that they will donate all ticket revenue from their recent Europa League home match against Maccabi Tel Aviv to humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The club cited the intense political atmosphere surrounding the game, which took place amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
"The home match against Maccabi Tel Aviv was one of the most demanding games in Bodø/Glimt's history. Not because of the sporting aspect, but because global power politics took over our city and stadium," wrote club CEO Frode Thomassen and chairman Inge Henning Andersen in an official statement.
The Norwegian side defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-1 last month, but the fixture sparked significant controversy in Norway due to the fighting in Gaza. The club announced that ticket sales from the match, totaling 735,000 Norwegian kroner ($67,000), would be donated to the Red Cross for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
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"Glimt cannot, and will not, be unaffected by the suffering and violations of international law that are taking place in other parts of the world," the statement read. "At the same time, we are a soccer club, not a political actor, even though it was almost impossible to make a clear distinction between sport and politics in the run-up to this match.
"Therefore, it was important for us to conduct the match in a way that respected everyone's right to express themselves, while ensuring the safety of players, supporters and the rest of the city.
Through its Action Now initiative, the club said it is committed to taking meaningful actions beyond the soccer field. "ow we want to show that we put action behind the words," the statement continued. "We will donate all the ordinary ticket revenues from the home game against Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Red Cross and earmark aid work in the Gaza Strip. This amounts to NOK 735,000, - and is donated by all of us."
Maccabi Tel Aviv was eliminated from the Europa League after a 1-0 loss to Porto on Thursday, while Bodø/Glimt, whose squad includes Israeli-Russian goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, finished ninth in the group stage. They are set to face Dutch club Twente in the playoff round.