West Midlands Police banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending Thursday's Europa League match against Aston Villa citing safety concerns. The Israeli club declined their away ticket allocation on Monday night after the police decision, with the club citing "hate-filled falsehoods" creating a "toxic atmosphere" around the fixture.
The police ban was based on a risk assessment referencing recent violence involving Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam. The Safety Advisory Group supported the decision following intelligence about potential security threats for the November 6 fixture at Villa Park.
Swift political backlash across parties
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) criticised the decision within hours of Aston Villa's announcement. The political responses came with remarkable speed - Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch responded at 8:02pm, Reform UK's Nigel Farage at 8:58pm, and Starmer at 9pm on Thursday evening.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the decision "chooses exclusion" of Jewish people. The swift cross-party condemnation highlighted the politically sensitive nature of the ban, with politicians from across the spectrum stampeding to condemn West Midlands Police.
Controversial fanbase and far-right connections
According to Guardian columnist Jonathan Liew, Tommy Robinson is planning to visit Villa Park as a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan, highlighting the natural synergy between the club and far-right activists. Maccabi attracts supporters from Israel's far-right who regularly chant anti-Arab slogans at matches.
The club's ultra group, known as Maccabi Fanatics, previously displayed a banner reading "refugees (not) welcome" and has been linked to racist incidents. Israeli international midfielder Maharan Radi faced racist slurs and death threats from the fanbase after joining the club, with anti-Arab graffiti appearing in Tel Aviv following his signing.
Amsterdam violence as warning
Late last year, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and local groups clashed violently in Amsterdam streets during their match against Ajax. Israeli fans, an Arab taxi driver and pro-Palestinian protesters were all targeted in lawless violence that erupted far from the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Liew argues this demonstrates how matches involving Maccabi Tel Aviv can become flashpoints for politically-motivated violence rather than typical hooliganism. This pattern of targeted, politicised footballing violence influenced the West Midlands Police risk assessment for the Villa game.
Questions about British patriotism
Birmingham MP Ayoub Khan warned against conflating policing matters with religion in the debate. The decision reflects wider tensions about balancing football security with concerns about discrimination.
Liew suggests the speed of political responses raises questions about whether politicians consulted security briefings before condemning the ban. He writes: "Choosing to stand with the far-right foreign football hooligan against the local police force: this, apparently, is what British patriotism looks like in 2025."
Broader European context
European football regularly sees away fan bans for security reasons. Eintracht Frankfurt fans were banned from Naples this week, while Ajax fans were prohibited from travelling to Marseille last month.
The Maccabi case highlights how geopolitical tensions increasingly spill into sporting events. The debate has raised questions about whether football security decisions should be viewed through a purely sporting or broader political lens, with implications for how Britain navigates Israel-Palestine discourse.
Sources used: "The Guardian", "Metro", "HuffPost UK", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
