The Government will "provide what is necessary" to ensure Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans can attend their Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham next month. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said blocking the Israeli team's supporters was "very difficult to justify" after local authorities announced a ban amid safety concerns.
The ban was imposed for the 6 November fixture following violent clashes at Sunday's Tel Aviv derby between rivals Hapoel and Maccabi. West Midlands Police classified the match as high-risk based on "current intelligence and previous incidents", pointing to violent clashes during Maccabi's 2024 Europa League match against Ajax in Amsterdam.
Minister promises government intervention
Phillipson told Sky News it was "unacceptable" for away fans to be barred "for the reasons that have been cited". She said: "We think (it) is very difficult to justify and very difficult to accept and that football fans shouldn't be unable to attend games for fear of what that might cause more widely."
The Education Secretary confirmed ministers were working to overturn the decision. "The Government will do what we can to ensure that the relevant authorities have got the resources they need… We will provide what is necessary alongside the other relevant authorities in order to ensure that fans can attend," she said.
Political divide over fan ban
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) called the move to bar fans "wrong" and said "we will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets". The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK also criticised the decision.
However, Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr Ayoub Khan defended the ban following Sunday's violence. In a post on X, he said: "Shame on you Keir Starmer and shame on you Kemi Badenoch and all the other politicians and news anchors that sought to conflate matters… this was never about religion, it was always about hooliganism."
Violence mars Israeli football
Israeli police called off Sunday's Tel Aviv derby after trouble flared around the Bloomfield Stadium shared by both clubs. Khan described Maccabi fans as "hooligans, people who show no mercy" and demanded Starmer apologise to West Midlands chief constable Craig Guildford.
The Government expects West Midlands Police to outline early next week what resources they would need to police the game safely with both sets of fans present. Birmingham's safety advisory group is expected to discuss the issue at a meeting this week.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
