Premier League club Aston Villa has banned Israeli spectators from attending its upcoming UEFA Europa League match against Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park, citing security concerns.
According to reports, the match is scheduled for November 6 as part of Europe’s second-most prestigious club tournament after the Champions League.
In anticipation of possible protests and unrest, the Safety Advisory Group (SAG)—the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches—advised Aston Villa that fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv should not be allowed entry to the stadium for the game in Birmingham.
Aston Villa said that “the safety of all attending supporters and the local community remains the club’s top priority in all decision-making.”
The club confirmed that following a meeting, SAG issued written instruction to both the club and UEFA, officially prohibiting Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the match at Villa Park.
Local police in the West Midlands have designated the fixture as “high risk.” A police spokesperson noted that the decision was based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crimes during a 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
Videos widely circulated on social media from November 8, 2024, showed Maccabi fans vandalizing property in Amsterdam, attacking a local Arab taxi driver, and confronting law enforcement. Reports also indicated that Israeli rioters torched Palestinian flags and caused disturbances both inside and outside the stadium, severely escalating tensions in the city.
In response, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized Aston Villa’s decision, calling it inappropriate and emphasizing that antisemitism would not be tolerated on British streets.
