Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be allowed to attend their upcoming Europa League clash against Aston Villa at Villa Park on November 6. Officials only made this decision after public safety would become a serious concern. They were especially anxious because of violent situations with Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at an earlier match in Amsterdam.
Last season, fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv violently confronted local Amsterdam residents and football fans before a Europa League match against Ajax played in Amsterdam. Consequently, West Midlands Police have declared the future fixture to be of high risk. The police pointed to this violent history as an important justification for their decision.
Nearly 120 enthusiastic Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters travelled to Greece to see an exhilarating fixture vs PAOK. Instead of being allowed to enter the front of the venue, they were kept behind an impenetrable police cordon. When added to the previous confrontations with pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the Ajax match, this one set off red flags all across law enforcement. They feared the risk of riot at Villa Park would become reality.
Police Justifications
West Midlands Police have emphasized that their decision stems from “current intelligence and previous incidents,” including the violent clashes in Amsterdam. They have expressed that “the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents were at the forefront of any decision.”
Outside the stadium, Aston Villa has admitted that they ejected Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters because of public order considerations. Above all, they wanted to avoid the bad PR of mishandling protests on the night of the match.
“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.” – West Midlands Police
According to the police’s own rationale, reactions have been split. The coordinated campaigner in London, the Jewish Leadership Council, went ballistic. They described it as “disproportionate” and stressed the detrimental effect of prohibiting visiting supporters from attending a football game due to security concerns.
Political Reactions
UK opposition leader and prime minister-in-waiting Keir Starmer chimed in, labeling the West Midlands Police decision as “the wrong decision.” In the waning days of his administration, he made clear that fans should be left to enjoy the sport they love, without threats of violence or harassment.
“We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.” – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
This match has opened up controversy over the game that exposes far uglier tensions. Public pressure from recent events in Gaza led UEFA to consider excluding Israeli teams from its competitions.
Consequences for Maccabi Tel Aviv
In light of these developments, West Midlands Police suggested that Maccabi Tel Aviv should face consequences for their supporters’ actions, proposing that the match should be played behind closed doors. This position is especially troubling. That’s because many people think it’s pretty unreasonable to penalize an entire fan base for the behavior of a tiny minority of fans.
“It is perverse that away fans should be banned from a football match because West Midlands Police can’t guarantee their safety.” – Jewish Leadership Council
