Aston Villa Football Club has announced that no away fans will be permitted to attend their upcoming UEFA Europa League match against Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 6 at Villa Park.
The decision, stemming from an instruction by the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), comes against a backdrop of escalating concerns over potential public disorder, fueled by the Israeli club’s supporters’ history of racist behavior and broader calls for the fixture — or even Israeli teams’ participation in European competitions — to be outright banned.
The SAG, which issues safety certificates for all matches at Villa Park based on physical and security assessments, convened an emergency meeting this afternoon. They formally advised the club and UEFA that excluding Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters is essential, citing input from West Midlands Police.
Officers have flagged “public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night,” according to Villa’s statement.
Aston Villa emphasized its ongoing dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and local authorities, placing “the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”
History of racist incidents involving Maccabi Tel Aviv fans
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s ultras have a documented record of inflammatory and racist actions, particularly during away games in Europe, which has amplified fears in Birmingham’s diverse communities, including the predominantly Muslim suburb of Aston near Villa Park.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
The most notorious episode unfolded last November in Amsterdam ahead of a Europa League clash with Ajax. Maccabi fans were filmed tearing Palestinian flags from local balconies, attacking a taxi, and setting another Palestinian flag ablaze.
Dutch police reported “outbursts of violence” post-match, with 62 arrests made after clashes that hospitalised five people. Eyewitness accounts and videos captured supporters chanting racist slogans against Arabs, including “death to Arabs” and “may their villages burn,” alongside refusals to observe a minute’s silence for unrelated tragedies.
The Palestinian Football Association condemned the “deplorable incitement to violence, anti-Palestinian racism, and Islamophobia,” urging UEFA to act.
The club’s ultras have been linked to “genocidal chants” tied to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, including support for soldiers through “care packages” and motivational videos.
Islamic scholar, Sheikh Asrar Rashid, even issued a warning in early October, stating Maccabi fans “will not be shown mercy” in Birmingham.
Mounting calls to ban the fixture and Israeli teams from UEFA
Pressure has intensified since the August draw for outright cancellation.
UK politicians, including independent MP Jeremy Corbyn and Birmingham Perry Barr MP Ayoub Khan, launched a petition in September urging UEFA, the UK Culture Minister, and Villa to “urgently cancel this fixture” or relocate it to a neutral venue — or play behind closed doors — citing the “ongoing genocide in Gaza” and risks to “community harmony.”
Khan, a former Aston councillor, labeled the fans “thugs” and highlighted the Amsterdam precedent, while local councillor Waseem Zaffar vowed to boycott as a lifelong Villa supporter.
These pleas align with a wider European push to suspend Israeli teams from UEFA competitions amid the Gaza genocide, which has claimed over 65,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023.
UEFA has so far resisted, with no formal ban imposed, and the U.S. State Department lobbied against one in September.
