Maccabi Tel Aviv to decline tickets for European tie at Aston Villa

‘Israeli’ football team Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will decline any ticket allocation for its upcoming UEFA Europa League match against Aston Villa, citing its supporters' safety.

The decision, made on Monday, effectively created a self-imposed fan ban, despite growing efforts by the British government to overturn a local security restriction.

The controversy began when the local West Midlands Police (WMP) deemed the November 6 fixture at Villa Park to be "high risk," citing concerns over public safety outside the stadium and the force's ability to manage potential mass protests on the night.

This classification was based on "current intelligence and previous incidents," explicitly referencing the "violent clashes and hate crime offences" documented during the 2024 Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam.

In a statement confirming the refusal, Maccabi Tel Aviv emphasized that fan well-being was their primary concern.

"The well-being 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," the club stated, adding that a "toxic atmosphere" had placed fan safety "very much in doubt".

The initial ban had triggered a significant political row in the UK, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly opposing the decision and declaring, "We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets".

The Home Office had pledged "extra support" and additional resources to the WMP in an effort to facilitate a safe reversal of the ban.

The UK government expressed being "deeply saddened" by the team's decision, saying it was "completely unacceptable that this game has been weaponized to stoke violence and fear".

In response to the escalating security challenge, host club Aston Villa implemented strict ticketing controls for home fans, limiting purchases only to supporters with a booking history up to and including the 2024/25 season to prevent high-risk individuals from infiltrating the home sections of the stadium.

The highly charged fixture also drew the attention of British right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, known by his real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and as the founder of the English Defence League.

Robinson publicly encouraged his followers to attend and “support Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park” on November 6, sharing a photograph of himself in the ‘Israeli’ club's shirt.

He stated his intention was to attend the game to “show what it's like to be a Jewish fan coming from the State of Israel to a football match,” and he also criticized the fan ban.