( CNN ) -- A Dutch football club is facing criticism for playing in the United Arab Emirates , despite being told its Israeli defender would not be allowed in the country . Vitesse Arnhem , second in the Dutch league , is in Abu Dhabi for training and matches with two German teams during its mid-season break . The team 's spokeswoman Esther Bal says the team was told just one day before the trip that defender Dan Mori could not enter the UAE . Like most Arab countries , the UAE does not recognize Israel , and its immigration policies stipulate that Israeli citizens will be refused admission . Still , Bal says planning for the trip began about six weeks ago and the team had been assured on the phone repeatedly that the 25-year-old Mori would be allowed to enter because he was an athlete . No officials in the UAE could be reached for immediate comment . Esther Voet , director of the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel , told CNN `` Vitesse should have had the team spirit not to go without Mori . '' Over the weekend , two Dutch politicians also criticized the team for travelling to the UAE . Geert Wilders , leader of the rightist Party for Freedom , called the team `` cowardly '' on his Twitter account . `` Vitesse did not have to go to the UAE to protest the refusal to let Mori in . '' However , Bal told CNN , `` We 're a football club . We want to stay away from politics , '' adding that Mori himself , encouraged Vitesse to go ahead without him , `` putting the team 's interests first . '' According to Bal , Vitesse was unable to pull out of the trip as would have affected the other teams . `` We were under pressure . We had obligations with the teams we 're playing , '' said Bal . Vitesse is playing German Bundesliga clubs Wolsfburg and Hamburg this week , before heading back to The Netherlands on Saturday . On its return , Bal says the team will contact world governing body FIFA to evaluate the situation . This is not the first time the UAE has come under pressure for stopping Israeli athletes from entering . Last year , the English Premier League team , Swansea City , was told its Israeli player , Itay Shechter , could not go to Dubai for training . The club considered canceling their mid-season camp . Israeli athletes have been allowed to attend international sporting events in the region , however . In October , Israeli contestants participated in the Swimming World Cup in Qatar , but images of the Israeli flag were omitted from parts of the competition . In 2009 , Shahar Peer was denied entry into the UAE for the Dubai Tennis Championship , but played in subsequent tournaments .
Vitesse came under pressure after its Israeli player was not allowed entry to the stadium . Dutch club was informed just a day before travelling to Dubai that Dan Mori could not enter . FIFA does not recognise Israel . Dutch club says it ` ` had obligations '' to the teams they were playing .