Brussels refuses to host Belgium-Israel match over security fears

"We deplore the decision taken by the City of Brussels - which has a lot of experience of organising big events - to not organise the match in our stronghold," the federation said.

The federation said it was in contact with several cities and the security services about finding an alternative venue.

The city of Louvain has already said it would not host the match either.

A spokesman for the Israeli football federation, Shlomi Barzel, told AFP: "This is a matter concerning Belgium, it's not our problem".

Concerns were likely raised by the attack in Brussels in October in which a gunman killed two Swedish football fans before a Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden, although the motive of the attack was not antisemitic.

France and Italy are in the same Nations League Group A2 as Belgium and Israel.