Supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv will not be allowed to attend the Europa League game against Aston Villa in Birmingham on November 6 due to “a number of physical and safety factors”.
Earlier on Thursday, sources briefed on the matter had told The Athletic that West Midlands Police (WMP) had requested away fans be prevented from buying tickets to the match. Villa later confirmed this will be the case in a statement.
The force advised the city’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) against approving an away allocation at Villa Park, and UEFA, the competition’s organiser, is expected to follow the recommendation of local authorities. The SAG, which is tasked with advising on safety around the match, is made up of emergency services, the club and other stakeholders.
Sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to publicly discuss the matter, said the situation was discussed at an emergency meeting between representatives from Birmingham City Council, the SAG, Villa and other relevant parties on Thursday.
Villa confirmed this meeting, saying: “West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.
“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”
There have been calls to ban Israel’s teams from UEFA competitions following criticism of Israel’s military in the war with Hamas. The U.S. State Department said in September, before last week’s ceasefire agreement, it would work to prevent Israel from being banned from global soccer.
When Maccabi Tel Aviv travelled to Amsterdam to face Ajax last November, the travelling fans of the Israeli team were subject to “outbursts of violence” after the game, according to Dutch police, who said it arrested 62 people following the clashes with five hospitalised. Police confirmed that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attacked a taxi and set a Palestinian flag on fire the day before the match, which had an additional presence of 800 officers placed on duty by city officials due to safety concerns.
Dutch police at the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv game last year (VLN Niews / ANP / AFP)
UEFA rules stipulate that home teams must make at least five per cent of their stadium’s capacity available for away supporters. When asked for comment, UEFA said: “UEFA wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment, and encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen.
“In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory, such decisions being determined on the basis of thorough risk assessments, which vary from match to match and take into consideration previous circumstances.”
WMP said: “Following a thorough assessment, we have classified the upcoming Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv fixture as high risk.
“This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Amsterdam.”
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “A multi-agency meeting was held with all relevant partners to assess safety arrangements for the upcoming fixture. Following a thorough review, concerns were raised regarding public safety if away fans attend the match, by the police. As a result, a collective decision was made to restrict away fan attendance.”
Around 30 per cent of the population of Birmingham is Muslim, according to a 2021 census, and the city has seen frequent pro-Palestinian demonstrations since the start of the conflict.
Tight security and political tensions overshadowed Israel’s recent World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy this month, with both games taking place amid a huge police presence.
Ayoub Khan, the independent member of parliament for Perry Barr, a district of Birmingham, has signed a petition calling for the game to be cancelled, relocated to a neutral third country or held behind closed doors without spectators.
“We are calling on UEFA, the UK Culture Minister, and the club itself to urgently cancel this fixture or take immediate steps to ensure public safety and community harmony,” read the petition. Given the fixture is now only 20 days away, it appears unlikely that it will be cancelled or relocated due to the logistical undertaking that would require.
Villa have won their opening two Europa League games against Bologna and Feyenoord, and will face Go Ahead Eagles away from home on October 23 before Maccabi’s visit.
Maccabi Tel Aviv did not respond to a request for comment.
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