No Maccabi Tel Aviv fans allowed at Villa match

Villa won their opening home Europa League game against Bologna last month

No Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will be allowed to attend their Europa League match away to Aston Villa because of safety concerns.

West Midlands Police has concerns about its ability to deal with any potential protests when the Israeli side play at Villa Park on Thursday, 6 November.

The Safety Advisory Group - the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches - informed Villa no travelling fans will be permitted at the match in Birmingham.

Villa said: "The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process.

"The safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents is at the forefront of any decision."

The move has been criticised by a number of politicians, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing it as "the wrong decision".

West Midlands Police said the upcoming game has been classified as "high risk" following a "thorough assessment".

A spokesperson said: "This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.

"Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety."

Nigel Huddleston, MP for Droitwich and Evesham, criticised the decision and said he had asked culture secretary Lisa Nandy to investigate.

"Football and sport has enormous power to unite. This decision gives in to the forces of hatred and division," he wrote on social media.

"Are we seriously saying that in modern Britain we cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish people on our streets and in our sports grounds? I'm not OK with that.

"Every effort should be made by all stakeholders to overturn this decision."

Starmer wrote on social media platform X that the "role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the decision a "national disgrace".

Thirty-nine people were arrested after violence broke out in the build-up to Villa's game with Legia Warsaw in 2023.

There have been protests at various sporting events over the war in Gaza, including when Israel's national team played Norway and Italy in recent World Cup qualifiers.

Football's European governing body Uefa said it wanted fans to be able to travel and support their team in a "safe, secure and welcoming environment".

Uefa told Reuters: "In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory."

Arrests were made after violence broke out before the match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in November last year.

Amsterdam officials described the violence as a "toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger" over the war in Gaza, Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East.

A ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on 10 October.