TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – Maccabi Tel Aviv says it will refuse all tickets offered for next month’s Europa League match against Aston Villa, despite growing calls for ticket cancellations in the English city of Birmingham. Prohibited It was imposed on the fans of the Israeli club.
West Midlands Police last week deemed the November 6 match at Villa Park to be a high risk, citing violence and hate crimes that occurred during the match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax. in Amsterdam last season.
The subsequent banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Villa matches drew widespread criticism, including from the British Prime Minister. keir starmer who said it was wrong decision.
in Statement posted on social media Late on Monday, Maccabi Tel Aviv acknowledged the effort to overturn the ban, but added: “The health and safety of our fans is our top priority and, given the hard lessons we have learned, we have taken the decision to reject the quota offered on behalf of our away fans. Our decision should be understood in that context.”
The unrest comes amid growing concerns about anti-Semitism in Britain, which the British government has been trying to resolve behind the scenes. Deadly attack on Manchester synagogue Earlier this month, he called on Palestinians and their supporters to boycott Israeli sports against Israel’s war effort against Hamas in Gaza.
No soccer fans allowed
Suspensions against traveling fans are not unheard of in European soccer, but are usually based on a history of violence between fans of rival clubs. There is no history of violence between Aston Villa and Maccabi fans.
However, Maccabi fans have become increasingly popular over the past year, due in part to the war in Gaza. Most notably, Maccabi fans clashed violently with city residents in Amsterdam last season, when the team visited Ajax in the Europa League.
Dozens of people were arrested after the incident, and five were treated at a hospital. night of violence This was condemned by authorities as anti-Semitic, and some supporters of the Israeli team chanted anti-Arab slogans.
Italy had a heavy police presence last week. Including the sniper on the roof. The stadium demolition comes after authorities classified the World Cup qualifier between Italy and Israel in the most dangerous category.
And last Sunday, dozens of people were injured when rioting soccer fans threw flares and smoke bombs at a domestic league derby game in Tel Aviv. The match between city rivals Hapoel and Maccabi at Bloomfield Stadium ended in a decider. abandoned Police say out of concern for public safety.
The match at Villa Park on November 6 will be Maccabi’s first away match in the Europa League, the second tier of European football, since pro-Palestinian protests erupted at a stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. When the club played against PAOK About 120 Maccabi fans traveled to Greece for the match and were detained by a police cordon before entering the venue.
UEFA, the governing body of European football, weigh votes The Israeli team was previously suspended from the tournament. it was overtaken this month by Ceasefire in Gaza.
Maccabi reaction
Maccabi Tel Aviv said in a club statement that football unites people, not divides them.
“We have contributed to attracting footballing talent from all over the world, regardless of race or creed. Our first-team squad is made up of Muslim, Christian and Jewish players, and our fan base also transcends ethnic and religious boundaries,” the statement said, adding that the club “has worked tirelessly to eradicate racism among the more extreme elements of our fan base.”
The statement said there are critics who seek to “smear” Maccabi fans.
The club said: “We are hopeful that the situation will change and look forward to playing in a sporting environment in Birmingham in the near future.”
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