The UK Government has expressed its disappointment following the unexpected move by Maccabi Tel Aviv to refuse any ticket allocation for their upcoming Europa League fixture against Aston Villa. A government spokesperson described the announcement as "deeply saddening", emphasising the principle that football supporters must be able to enjoy matches free from intimidation or violence.
No away fans at Villa Park
Last week, the local safety advisory group covering the West Midlands moved to block all visiting fans from attending the fixture at Villa Park on November 6 following a risk assessment by police. This decision triggered an outcry from politicians, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who criticised the ban as disproportionate, and there have been calls for the decision to be reversed. On Monday evening, Maccabi Tel Aviv released a statement declaring that the “well-being and safety of our fans is paramount”. Drawing on lessons from previous encounters, the club confirmed it would decline any new ticket allocation offer for the match, a stance adopted “on behalf of away fans” and presented as unavoidable.
"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, and our decision should be understood in that context," the statement read.
"We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future."
In the same message, Maccabi questioned the motives of those justifying the ban. However, they offered gratitude to the UK government and police for their efforts in ensuring supporter safety.
"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 and society at large," said the club. "Our first-team squad consists of Muslims, Christian and Jewish players and our fanbase also crosses the ethnic and religious divide. We have also been working tirelessly to stamp out racism within the more extreme elements of our fanbase.
"It is clear that various entrenched groups seek to malign the Maccabi Tel Aviv fanbase, most of whom have no truck with racism or hooliganism of any kind, and are exploiting isolated incidents for their own social and political ends. As a result of the hate-filled falsehoods, a toxic atmosphere has been created, which makes the safety of our fans wishing to attend very much in doubt."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesGovernment’s firm warning: Extremism will not be tolerated
The UK government has said they gave their best to provide the fans a safe environment to enjoy a football match, and have been left disappointed by Maccabi's stance – as per .
"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," a government spokesperson said. "We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so. It is completely unacceptable that this game has been weaponised to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us. We will never tolerate antisemitism or extremism on our streets."
Starmer had initially said of the supporters' ban: "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."
Meanwhile, Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, posted on X: "Shameful decision! I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision!"
However, the Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, supported the decision and said: "I welcome the Safety Advisory Group’s decision. With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures."
Flashpoint in Tel Aviv: Derby day chaos
There was a violent outbreak during the derby between Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv over the weekend. The pre-match atmosphere at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv erupted into serious disorder, prompting officials to cancel the fixture. Police reports revealed that five supporters were arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace, rioting, throwing bottles and assaulting officers, while an additional 13 were detained for taking part in an unauthorised gathering. At the same time, the stadium was engulfed in red and white smoke from smoke grenades and fireworks. Israeli police confirmed that three officers and five spectators were hurt by pyrotechnics, and another five fans sustained injuries. The Tel Aviv district commander, Haim Sargof, stated that postponement was the only viable choice given the escalating safety concerns.
A police spokesperson said: “Disorderly conduct, riots, object throwing, smoke grenades, fireworks, injured police officers, and damage to stadium infrastructure — this is not a football match, this is a serious public disturbance and violence.
“In light of the disturbances and the endangerment of human lives ahead of the scheduled football match at Bloomfield stadium, the Israel police has informed the teams, team management, and referees that it has been decided not to allow the match to take place. We call on the fans to remain in place until a calm and orderly dispersal takes place.”
Getty Images SportMaccabi fans left in limbo
Although Maccabi's absolute rejection of tickets may be viewed as a principled stand for safety, it also effectively removes their supporters from experiencing the game against Villa live in Birmingham, a tough pill to swallow for any football fan. Maccabi will be back in Europa League action on Thursday when they host Midtjylland.