Aston Villa bans Israeli fans from Europa League match

Due to security concerns, Premier League club Aston Villa has barred fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending the upcoming Europa League match scheduled to be held at Villa Park on November 6.

According to Turkish media reports, the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) — the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches — advised Aston Villa’s management to prohibit the entry of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in light of possible protests and violent incidents.

Aston Villa stated that the safety of supporters and local residents remains its top priority.

“Following the meeting, SAG issued a written directive to the club and UEFA confirming that no Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters will be permitted to attend the match at Villa Park,” the club said in its statement.

Meanwhile, the West Midlands Police have classified the fixture as a ‘high-risk’ match, citing intelligence and previous violent incidents, particularly the 2024 Europa League clash between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam, where Israeli fans were involved in riots, vandalism, and attacks on a local Arab taxi driver.

During that match, videos widely circulated on social media showed Israeli fans vandalizing property, clashing with police, and burning Palestinian flags, escalating tensions across the city.

Reacting to the decision, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized Aston Villa’s move, calling it “wrong,” and said his government would not tolerate antisemitism on British streets.

“It is the police’s duty to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game without fear or violence,” he said in a social media post.

Israeli fans have increasingly been involved in aggressive behavior and confrontations with pro-Palestine demonstrators across Europe since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza.

In recent months, anti-Israel protests have been seen in various European cities during Israel’s international fixtures, with growing calls for FIFA and UEFA to ban Israeli clubs and teams.