Belgrade is now dubbed "the new home of Israeli basketball teams" by its residents. This came after Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv chose the Serbian capital as their base for European competition games this season, driven by the necessity to relocate outside of Israel due to the current multi-border conflict.
On Tuesday, Maccabi Tel Aviv will play against Panathinaikos at Pionir Arena for the third game of the EuroLeague quarterfinals, an event that is well known to the locals. They often engage in detailed conversations with Israelis they encounter on the street about the Israeli basketball teams, their passion for European basketball, the players' favorite local activities and particularly about Yam Madar, who transferred from Partizan Belgrade to Fenerbahçe last summer.
"Belgrade has warmly welcomed the Israeli teams," a local taxi driver said. " We're known for our love of sports, especially basketball, so it's wonderful to host additional teams participating in European leagues for their entire season here. It's regrettable that the public couldn't attend the games. I'm confident that if attendance had been permitted, many Serbs would have come out to support, true to our nature as sports enthusiasts."
Nikola, who owns a smoothie and fruit shop in Belgrade, says the Israeli players have patronized his establishment. "Everyone is aware that Maccabi Tel Aviv is facing Panathinaikos tomorrow. I have faith in them and am confident they'll reach the Final Four. Throughout the season, I've enjoyed seeing Maccabi Tel Aviv players order healthy items from my shop for delivery to their hotel. It’s exciting to see such a prestigious team choose my products. They are among the elite teams in Europe," she said.
"I'm an huge fan of Partizan Belgrade. Since I attend every game and support from behind the bench, I became quite familiar with Yam Madar. He even gifted me his signed jersey after a game. He's a promising talent, and I hope to see him return to play for Partizan in the future," Nikola added.