Maccabi Tel Aviv announced on Monday that they will no longer sell tickets to supporters for next month’s Europa League match against Aston Villa, even if their suspension is overturned.
The Israeli club has reportedly decided not to sell tickets to supporters, ban or not, as Tommy Robinson was due to attend Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Aston Villa. Villa confirmed last week that Maccabi fans will not be allowed to attend the Europa League match in Birmingham on Thursday, November 6.
The decision was taken by the city’s Safety Advisory Group following concerns raised by West Midlands Police about whether police could deal with potential protests related to the war between Israel and Gaza. Amid the controversy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer took to social media to slam the decision as “wrong”.
Far-right activist Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was invited to Israel by politician Amichai Tsikri and is accused of inciting the flames with his posts. Wearing a shirt in Maccabi colors, Robinson posted on X: “Who will be coming to support Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park on November 6th???”
But on Monday, Maccabi confirmed it would not sell tickets even if the ban was overturned. In a statement, the club said “hateful falsehoods” had created a “toxic atmosphere” around the match.
Minutes before their statement was released, a Jewish News report appeared, claiming Robinson’s post was the “last straw” for Maccabi and prompted a change in ticket sales plans. “The risk posed by anti-Israel protesters was considerable, but we believed we had a plan to prevent their spread,” a club official said.
read more: Aston Villa have issued new warning to fans ahead of next month’s game against Maccabi Tel Avivread more: UK government reacts as Maccabi Tel Aviv take action over Aston Villa ticket ban
“But that changed with the intervention of Tommy Robinson, who also risked our supporters being mistakenly linked to his far-right activities in the face of anti-Israel demonstrators who were already trying to seize them.
“With Robinson supporters potentially posing as Maccabi fans on the streets of Birmingham, we determined that the risk became unacceptable to innocent fans who simply wanted to watch their team play.”
The decision came despite the UK government promising to work to ensure “all fans” can attend matches. Excerpts from Maccabi’s official statement said: “The well-being and safety of our fans is paramount and, given the hard lessons we have learned, we have taken the decision to refuse the allocation offered for away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.”
“I am hopeful that the situation will change and I am looking forward to playing in a sporting environment in Birmingham in the near future.”
Robinson responded to Maccabi’s decision with a statement of his own. “Today is a sad day because Maccabi Tel Aviv has decided not to sell fan tickets for the next match in Birmingham, even if the ban on fans is lifted,” the 42-year-old began.
“This is a clear capitulation to terrorism and Britain’s failure to protect Jews in 2025. Jihadists are winning the war on fear and intimidation, and the West is in deep crisis. Debating whether Jews should be allowed into the game is shameful and disgusting.”
“This means I will not be attending the match I had planned, and will be flying from Israel with my fans to cover the reaction to Jews landing in the UK. I and so many decent people cannot remain silent because Jews are threatened and unsafe.”
“I am learning more from Israel about Zionism and Jews standing up for their people. We need to stand up against evil and do what is right. Like all of Israel, I continue to meet with our allies and call on all decent people in Europe and the world to stand up for justice and truth.”
“I plan on going to Europe and other places where members of the Jewish community are in danger. Although the official part of my trip to Israel is over, I’m glad I got to spend more time with my friends here. I hope to report more in the future, including about Israeli mosques, Jewish settlers, etc. Thank you Israel!”
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