Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be allowed into Villa Park for next month’s Europa League match, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer giving his verdict on the decision.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the decision to restrict Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from traveling to Villa Park for their Europa League match against Aston Villa. The decision was confirmed on Thursday, 21 days before the Israeli club visits the Premier League side in a European competition.
The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) has informed Villa that traveling supporters will not be allowed to attend matches as away supporters. A West Midlands Police spokesperson cited past incidents, including one during a match between Ajax and Maccabi supporters last season, as reasons for the decision.
However, the decision was met with opposition from both sides of the political scale, with Mr Starmer reiterating that the role of police was to “ensure that all football fans can enjoy the match without fear of violence or intimidation”. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called the decision a “national disgrace”, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey posted: “A grave mistake by WM Police. Victim bans do not tackle antisemitism. This decision must be reversed.”
“This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the match without fear of violence or intimidation,” the prime minister said in a post on Twitter.
In a statement released by the Premier League club, Villa confirmed that following instructions from SAG, there will be no away fans in attendance for the group stage match on November 6.
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“Aston Villa confirms that following instructions from the Safety Advisory Group, the club has been informed that away fans will not be able to attend the UEFA Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday 6 November,” the statement began.
“The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) is responsible for issuing safety certificates for all matches at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.
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“Following a meeting this afternoon, SAG has formally written to the club and UEFA informing them that away fans will not be allowed into Villa Park for this match.
“West Midlands Police have advised SAG that there are public safety concerns outside Stadium Bowl and that they have the capacity to deal with potential protests on the night.
“The club is in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and local authorities throughout this ongoing process, and is keeping the safety of supporters attending matches and the safety of local residents at the forefront of all decisions.”
A West Midlands Police spokesperson supported the decision and said the force would continue to “resolutely support all affected communities and reaffirm our zero-tolerance stance towards hate crime.”
A statement read: “West Midlands Police supports the decision to ban away supporters.
“This decision is based on current information and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime crimes that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
“Based on our professional judgment, we believe this measure will help reduce the risk to public safety.”
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