Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv say they will not accept any ticket allocation from Aston Villa should the decision to ban their supporters from next month’s Europa League match be overturned.
Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) – the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches – last week informed Villa no travelling fans would be permitted at the match in the city.
The decision was widely condemned, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy pledging that the government will “find the resources” to allow Maccabi fans to attend earlier on Monday.
But Maccabi Tel Aviv now say supporters will not travel for safety reasons – that “a toxic atmosphere has been created which makes the safety of our fans wishing to attend very much in doubt”.
A club statement said, external: “The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount, and from hard lessons learned we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.
“We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”
“We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so,” a government spokesperson said.
They added it was “completely unacceptable” that the match has been “weaponised to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us”.
“The government has been working around the clock to defend a basic principle – that football fans should be able to enjoy a game without fear of intimidation or violence.”
On Thursday, West Midlands Police said it had classified the fixture as “high risk” based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including “violent clashes and hate crime offences” between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a match in Amsterdam, in November 2024.
Nandy said ministers were working together to fund any necessary policing operation to allow away fans to attend, and the SAG would review the decision if West Midlands Police changed its risk assessment.
Nandy said the matter was wider than matchday security, adding it came “against the backdrop of rising antisemitism here and across the world, and an attack on a synagogue in Manchester in which two innocent men were killed”.
On Sunday, the Israeli Premier League derby between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was cancelled before kick-off, after what police described as “public disorder and violent riots”.
Maccabi say the decision to call that game off was not down to their supporters and thanked the UK government for its efforts.
They said: “We believe that football should be about bringing people together not driving them apart.
“Our fans regularly travel all over Europe without incident and to suggest that the reason our fans cannot be allowed to travel is due to their behaviour is an attempt to distort reality.
“We acknowledge the efforts of the UK government and police to ensure both sets of fans can attend the match safely, and are grateful for the messages of support from across the footballing community.”
Aston Villa previously told their matchday stewards they did not have to work at the Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture, saying they understood some “may have concerns”.
Following Thursday’s announcement by the club about the impending fixture, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the move “wrong” and said: “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.”
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