Maccabi Tel Aviv Decline Villa Tickets Amid Tensions
Maccabi Tel Aviv have confirmed that they will not take up any ticket allocations for next month’s Europa League clash with Aston Villa, citing fan safety amid rising tensions.
Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group had earlier ruled that no travelling fans would be allowed at Villa Park Stadium in Birmingham, England, on 6 November, following advice from West Midlands Police, who deemed the fixture “high risk”.
The decision was linked to previous crowd trouble in Amsterdam last year, when Maccabi supporters clashed with Ajax fans.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the ban “wrong”, while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the government was working to ensure fans could attend safely. However, the Israeli club said that “a toxic atmosphere has been created”, making it unsafe for their supporters to travel.
Their decision comes just days after the Tel Aviv derby between Maccabi and Hapoel last Sunday, 19 October, was abandoned due to violent riots that injured police officers and fans.
Maccabi said in a statement released on Monday, 20 October, that football should “bring people together, not drive them apart”, insisting their fans are being unfairly blamed.
The move eases pressure on local officials but highlights deepening security and political concerns surrounding Israeli teams in European competition.
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