Alkmaar mayor Anja Schouten announced that supporters of Hapoel Beer Sheva would not be welcome in the city on 15 October, when AZ is due to host the Israeli club in a European match. She said she feared disturbances because demonstrations had been announced and referred to the unrest in Amsterdam surrounding an Ajax–Maccabi Tel Aviv match two years earlier. Several political parties in Alkmaar have demanded clarification of the decision. Schouten said UEFA information classified Hapoel Beer Sheva supporters as a group as posing a medium risk, while the match was considered a very high-risk event because of the geopolitical situation.