Aston Villa has banned fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv from entering Villa Park for their upcoming UEFA Europa League match, citing safety concerns, foreign media reported.
The match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Aston Villa is scheduled for November 6 as part of the UEFA Europa League, the second biggest club competition in European football after the Champions League.
The Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the authority responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches, advised Aston Villa that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters should not be allowed to attend the match in Birmingham due to potential protests and security risks.
Aston Villa stated that the safety of all attending fans and local residents remained the top priority.
“Following the meeting, SAG provided a written directive to the club and UEFA that no Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters will be permitted to attend the match at Villa Park,” the club said in a statement.
The West Midlands Police classified the match as “high risk”, citing existing intelligence and previous incidents of violence involving Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.
A police spokesperson said the decision was made considering recent violent clashes and hate crimes, including those during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
Videos that circulated widely on social media in November 2024 showed Maccabi supporters in Amsterdam, vandalising property, attacking a local Arab taxi driver and clashing with law enforcement. Reports also showed Israeli fans burning Palestinian flags both inside and outside the stadium, which led to unrest in the city.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticised Aston Villa’s decision, saying that anti-semitism should not be tolerated on British streets.
“The role of the police is to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game without fear of violence or threat,” Starmer said on social media.
Aston Villa maintains that the decision to restrict entry was made purely to prevent possible unrest and ensure public safety.
It may be noted that since the start of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Israeli fans across Europe have been involved in aggressive behaviour and frequent confrontations with pro-Palestinian protesters.
Although Israel’s national football team was eliminated from the FIFA World Cup qualifiers after losing to Italy, anti-Israel demonstrations have continued during their matches, with repeated calls for FIFA and UEFA to ban Israeli clubs and the national team.