Published On 16/10/2025
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Last update: 23:24 (Mecca time)
Fans of the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv were prevented from attending the match against Aston Villa in the Europa League football competition next month, for “public safety reasons,” according to what the English club said Thursday.
Villa announced in a statement that “it has been informed that fans of the visiting team will not be allowed to attend the Europa League match on Thursday, November 6, based on instructions from the Security Advisory Group.”
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The Security Consulting Group is responsible for issuing safety certificates for each match at Villa Park in Birmingham.
He added, “The group has officially sent a letter to the club and the European Football Association (UEFA) informing them that fans of the away team will not be allowed to attend this match at Villa Park.” West Midlands Police has also informed the group of its concerns about public safety outside the stadium grounds, and of its ability to deal with any potential protests that night.
Villa confirmed that it is in “continuous dialogue” with the Israeli club and local authorities, “putting the safety of fans attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”
Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 16, 2025
In a related context, the local police announced on Thursday that they had classified the match as “high risk” after a “comprehensive assessment.”
A police spokesman said: “This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crimes that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax (the Dutch) and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.”
The last confrontation between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv last November witnessed attacks on fans of the Israeli team in Amsterdam in hit-and-run attacks.
These attacks were the culmination of two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab songs, vandalizing a taxi and lowering the Palestinian flag.