Why did Maccabi Tel Aviv decline tickets for Aston Villa match?

Dubai: Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will not accept any tickets allocated to its fans for the upcoming Europa League match against Aston Villa on November 6 (12am UAE time on November 7), citing serious concerns over supporter safety.

“The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount,” the club said in an official statement. “Our decision should be understood in that context.”

The move comes after Aston Villa initially barred away supporters from attending the fixture in Birmingham, following recommendations from the local safety advisory group. The decision was made to prevent potential violent confrontations, according to officials.

However, this restriction was met with criticism, including from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called the ban “the wrong decision,” adding, “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.”

In its statement, Maccabi Tel Aviv also addressed broader concerns about how the club and its fan base are being portrayed.

“Our first-team squad includes Muslim, Christian, and Jewish players, and our fan base crosses ethnic and religious lines,” the statement read.

“Unfortunately, various entrenched groups have sought to tarnish the image of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans — the vast majority of whom reject racism and violence — by exploiting isolated incidents for political and social agendas.”

The club condemned what it described as a “false and distorted image” of its supporters as violent, blaming “divisive figures with abhorrent views that have no place in football” for fuelling a “toxic atmosphere.”

“As a result of these hate-filled falsehoods, the safety of our fans is now seriously in doubt,” Maccabi said, concluding that it hopes conditions will improve so it can “return to Birmingham under safer circumstances in the future.”

Recent context and backlash

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s decision followed a separate incident in Israel, where police cancelled a domestic derby between Maccabi and city rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv just before kickoff due to what authorities described as “public disorder and violent riots.”

The cancellation has added fuel to the debate over the Aston Villa match. UK and Israeli officials had previously criticised the Birmingham ban on Israeli fans.

The UK government also said it was working to override the decision made by local authorities to allow Israeli fans to attend.

However, following the unrest at the Tel Aviv derby, some UK politicians have defended the original ban. Independent MP Ayoub Khan posted on X, “To Keir Starmer and others who tried to make this about religion! Here’s more evidence. Even under the world’s spotlight, these fans chose violence, injuring police officers.”

Labour MP Richard Burgon also weighed in, breaking with his party’s stance, “This news exposes how absurd that campaign has been. The people of Birmingham have a right to be kept safe.”

Safety concerns

West Midlands Police had already classified the Aston Villa-Maccabi Tel Aviv match as “high risk” based on current intelligence and previous incidents — including violent clashes during a 2024 Europa League fixture between Maccabi and Ajax in Amsterdam, which led to multiple arrests.

Last year’s unrest in Amsterdam reportedly involved clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Maccabi fans, further heightening concerns about potential violence surrounding the upcoming Birmingham match.