Polish basketball fans created a tense atmosphere at the packed Katowice arena by booing during the Israeli national anthem before their EuroBasket 2025 group stage match. The incident quickly spread across social media, gathering approximately 400,000 views.
"The country that commits genocide shouldn't compete in European tournaments. It's a scandal," wrote one Polish social media user after the game.
The hostile reception came before the opening whistle in a Group D match where all games are being held in Poland. Despite the uncomfortable pre-game atmosphere, the contest itself remained competitive throughout, with the hosts eventually securing a narrow 66:64 victory.
Both teams entered the game with momentum - Israel had started their EuroBasket campaign successfully, while Poland was coming off a hard-fought win against Slovenia.
Interestingly, many Polish commentators online appeared to support the fans' behavior. Some posts contained even more radical sentiments, with users writing messages like "Bravo, chase these animals away" and "Good, Israel shouldn't participate in sports tournaments."
The Group D competition continues with Israel facing other opponents including France, Belgium, Iceland, and Slovenia, all on Polish soil. Will the hostile reception continue for Israel's remaining matches in Katowice? The incident has certainly added an extra dimension of tension to what was already a competitive basketball tournament.
