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Uefa, the European football governing body, has stated its commitment to ensuring fans can travel and support their teams in a “safe, secure and welcoming environment.”
Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will decline any ticket allocation from Aston Villa should the decision to bar their supporters from next month’s Europa League match be reversed.
Last week, Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the entity responsible for issuing safety certificates for sporting events, informed Aston Villa that no visiting fans would be permitted at the upcoming match in the city.
This decision has been widely condemned, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy pledging earlier on Monday that the government would “find the resources” to enable Maccabi fans to attend.
However, Maccabi Tel Aviv now cites safety concerns as the reason their supporters will not travel, stating that “a toxic atmosphere has been created which makes the safety of our fans wishing to attend very much in doubt.”
A club statement read, 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 stated.
The spokesperson added that 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 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 stated that ministers were collaborating to fund any necessary policing operation to facilitate the attendance of away fans, and the SAG would reconsider its decision if West Midlands Police revised its risk assessment.
Nandy emphasized that the issue extended beyond matchday security, adding that it occurred “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 prior to kick-off, following what police described as “public disorder and violent riots.”
Maccabi asserts that the decision to call off that game was not due to their supporters and expressed gratitude to the UK government for its efforts.
The club stated: “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 had previously informed their matchday stewards that they were not obligated to work at the Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture, acknowledging that some “may have concerns.”
Following Thursday’s announcement by the club regarding the impending fixture, Prime Minister Keir Starmer deemed the move “wrong” and affirmed: “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.”
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