Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will decline any ticket allocation offered for their Europa League fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park. The Israeli club cited safety concerns over what it described as a "toxic atmosphere" surrounding the match.
Sir Keir Starmer's (Labour) Government had been working with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to ensure fans from both clubs could attend the fixture. The Prime Minister had previously called a decision to bar away fans "wrong" and pushed for it to be overturned.
The Israeli club said the wellbeing and safety of supporters wanting to attend was "very much in doubt" due to the hostile environment. Maccabi Tel Aviv stated that previous experiences had influenced their decision-making process.
Safety concerns prompt decision
The club issued a statement explaining their position on fan safety. "The wellbeing 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," Maccabi Tel Aviv said.
The Israeli club expressed hope that circumstances would improve for future fixtures. "We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future," the statement continued.
Official response and planning
Birmingham's safety advisory group, responsible for issuing safety certificates for Villa Park matches, had initially ruled that no away fans would be permitted to attend. This decision prompted the Government's intervention and calls for reconsideration.
The Prime Minister weighed in on the controversy, describing the move to bar supporters as incorrect. Starmer advocated for the decision to be reversed to allow both sets of fans to attend the European fixture.
The Government had been expecting West Midlands Police to outline this week what resources would be needed to police the game safely with both sets of supporters present. Downing Street indicated that planning was ongoing to accommodate fans from both clubs.
Related incidents
Downing Street confirmed on Monday that the UK Football Policing Unit was reaching out to Israeli authorities regarding a separate incident. The contact concerned an Israeli Premier League match between rivals Hapoel and Maccabi that was reportedly called off.
Trouble reportedly flared before kick-off in and around the Bloomfield Stadium, which both clubs share. The incident prompted authorities to cancel the domestic fixture due to safety concerns.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
