England’s Aston Villa bars Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending match next month due to safety concerns

The English soccer club Aston Villa announces that the club has been advised that no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will be allowed to attend next month’s Europa League meeting between the two sides over “public safety concerns.”

In a statement, Villa says it has “been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG).”

The SAG is the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park.

The statement adds: “The SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture.

“West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”

Villa says they are in “continuous dialogue” with the Israeli club and the local authorities, “with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”

Local police said earlier that they had classified the fixture as “high risk” following a “thorough assessment.”

“This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offenses that occurred during the 2024 Uefa Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam,” a spokesperson for the force says.

Last November’s match between Dutch side Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv saw supporters of the Israeli team being assaulted in Amsterdam in hit-and-run attacks.