Football/ Maccabi Tel Aviv refuses fan allocation for Aston Villa match over safety fears
Facing a safety ban on their fans, Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv has now preemptively declared it will not send any supporters to its Europa League match at Aston Villa on November 6th.
The club’s decision comes after Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group, citing a “high risk” of violence and antisemitic incidents, initially banned away fans.
While the UK government pledged to fund extra policing to reverse the ban, Maccabi stated that a “toxic atmosphere” made their fans’ safety “very much in doubt.”
In a statement, the club emphasized that the wellbeing of their supporters is “paramount,” leading them to decline any ticket allocation. They refuted any suggestion that their fans’ behavior was the cause of the security concerns.
A government spokesperson expressed sadness but respect for the club’s decision, calling it “completely unacceptable” that the match had been “weaponised” to create fear.
The move averts a political dispute but raises questions about the UK’s ability to host international sporting events safely, particularly for Israeli teams amid rising global tensions.
