More than 50,000 fans cheered on Ihab Abu Jazar’s team as Palestine played their first game in Europe, a historic night in Bilbao. The coach, whose father was killed in the Israel-Gaza war and whose siblings now live in tents in Khan Younis, said: 'We are more than a national team, we represent a story of pain but also hope, and we are not alone.'
Despite losing 3-0 to the Basque national team, Palestine competed and received overwhelming support. 'We have felt like we were at home; not a second home, our home: it touched us from the start,' Abu Jazar said. The stadium roared when Zaid Qunbar almost equalised after 12 minutes.
The match was organised at the peace museum in Gernika, a town bombed in 1937. Iker Goñi, president of the Basque Football Federation, said it was a way to show solidarity with Palestine and call for peace in Gaza. He also noted that during the Spanish Civil War, a Basque team toured abroad and received support; 'this is the return game.'
Yaser Hamed, born in Barakaldo and raised in Leioa, played for Palestine after being contacted by the Palestinian Football Association in 2019. He said: 'It is not just a game. Let’s hope it gives us a voice so the world can see what is happening.'
