Starmer condemns ‘wrong decision†to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa game | Maccabi Tel Aviv

Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv will not be allowed to attend the Europa League match at Aston Villa on 6 November owing to safety concerns.

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 that occurred during the 2024 Uefa Europa League match between Ajax and ­Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdamâ€.

The police said it believed the measure would “help mitigate risks to public safety†and that it remained “steadfast in our support of all affected communities, and reaffirm our zero-tolerance stance on hate crime in all its formsâ€.

The move was condemned by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, who said: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.

“The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.â€

The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said the decision was a “national disgrace†and urged Starmer to reverse it.

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Villa said the local safety advisory group had instructed the club that “no away fans will be permittedâ€.

“The club are in continuous ­dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision,†Villa said.

There was significant unrest when Maccabi played Ajax on 7 ­November. A report by Dutch police into the ­disorder, which lasted two days, found that Maccabi fans had torn a Palestinian flag down from the facade of a local building and burned it, shouted “Fuck you, Palestine†and vandalised a taxi, among a series of incidents before the fixture. After the match, what were described by Amsterdamâ€s mayor as a series of “hit-and-run†assaults on Maccabi fans, led to five people being taken to hospital and a further 20 to 30 being slightly injured. Sixty-two people were arrested, mainly for ­public order offences.

The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Saâ€ar, posted on X: “Shameful decision! I call on the UK ­authorities to reverse this coward decision!†The Palestine Solidarity Campaign said the match should be cancelled, writing on X: “Israeli football teams shouldnâ€t play in international tournaments whilst it commits genocide and apartheid.â€

The Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, said: “I welcome the Safety Advisory Groupâ€s decision. With so much hostility and ­uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures.â€

Ajax were prevented last month from having fans at a Champions League match in Marseille after the French interior ministry banned “anyone claiming to be an Ajax Amsterdam supporter†from ­travelling between the French border and the southern city. Ajax said they had been informed the decision had been taken “on grounds of public safety and securityâ€.

The same week, the prefecture of Naples prevented the selling of tickets to Eintracht Frankfurt fans hoping to travel to their Champions League match against Napoli.

Uefa said: “In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory, such decisions being determined on the basis of thorough risk assessments, which vary from match to match and take into consideration previous circumstances.â€

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