When Aston Villa hosts Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League in early November, there will be no visiting fans in the stadium. The Birmingham police fear riots if this were not the case.
Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv will not be allowed to attend the Europa League match at Aston Villa on November 6 for security reasons. The instruction came from the Security Advisory Group (SAG), which is responsible for issuing security certificates for every match at Villa Park, the Birmingham team announced.
The club and UEFA were informed in the afternoon that no away fans would be allowed. According to the announcement, West Midlands Police had concerns about public safety outside the stadium, as protests were expected.
Politicians also get involved
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the exclusion. “This is the wrong decision,” the 63-year-old politician wrote on the X portal. “We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets.” He said it was the police’s job “to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game without fear of violence or intimidation.”
UEFA referred to the responsibility of local authorities. “UEFA wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe and welcoming environment,” it said in a statement. Therefore, clubs and the relevant authorities are called upon to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures to make this possible.
Villa in “constant dialogue” with Maccabi
Aston Villa’s statement said: “The club is in constant dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout the process. The safety of fans and local residents is paramount in all decisions.”
In soccer, but also in other sports, there have recently been repeated pro-Palestinian protests at sporting events involving Israeli participation. The background to this is Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Even after the agreement between Israel and the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on a ceasefire, the waves have not completely subsided.
Aston Villa has won its first two games in the Europa League and is currently third in the table. Maccabi has only earned one point so far. The Israeli club will play its upcoming Europa League home game against FC Midtjylland on October 23 at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia.
