Aston Villa host Maccabi Tel Aviv in their next UEFA Europa League home game on November 6.
Unai Emery's men won their first two matches in the league phase against Bologna and Feyenoord. They travel to face another Dutch side, Go Ahead Eagles, on October 23 when Maccabi host Midtjylland.
The Israeli club have one point from their first two matches in this phase of the competition against PAOK and Dinamo Zagreb.
However, matters on the pitch are likely to take a back seat when the game in Birmingham comes around next month.
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Why are Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned from Aston Villa Europa League match?
On Thursday, October 16, Aston Villa announced that Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) had decided that Maccabi fans should not be allowed to attend the match between the clubs at Villa Park.
The SAG advises the local council on whether to issue safety certificates to major events, based upon the risk assessment of West Midlands Police. The force classified the Villa vs. Maccabi game as "high risk" based on previous incidents and current intelligence, citing in particular the "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax a year ago.
Clashes between Maccabi and Ajax fans in Amsterdam in November 2024 caused widespread consternation, while pro-Palestinian protests featured at Maccabi's away games against Malta's Hamrun Spartans and Greece's PAOK in Europe this season. Their November 28 fixture against Turkish club Besiktas has already been moved from Istanbul to Hungary and will be played behind closed doors.
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November 2024 violence between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans
When Maccabi played Ajax in the Europa League last season, some of their supporters engaged in offensive chanting and damaged property in Amsterdam. There was also video footage of Palestinian flags being pulled down from buildings.
There were reprisals from Ajax fans and local residents, with Maccabi fans assaulted in apparently targeted attacks across the city after the match. Police made more than 60 arrests, and seven people were hospitalised, with between 20 to 30 suffering minor injuries.
City officials in Amsterdam described the events as a "toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger" against the backdrop of Israel's war in Gaza. The report also condemned racially motivated violence against "all minority groups", adding: "We emphasize that antisemitism cannot be answered with other forms of racism: the safety of one group cannot come at the expense of the safety of another."
Will the UK government overturn the Maccabi fans ban?
The SAG's decision has been criticised across the UK's mainstream political parties, with most of the focus being placed upon Israeli fans being barred from travelling at a time of protests against their country's foreign policy, as opposed to Maccabi's documented history of hooliganism.
Posting a BBC news story on the decision, Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X: "This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.
"The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey — a pair who are rarely, if ever, politically aligned — have also come out strongly against the move to bar Maccabi fans.
The BBC reported that Prime Minister Starmer was "angry" over the affair, with the Home Office looking at what extra resources could be provided to West Midlands Police in order to facilitate Maccabi fans travelling to the game.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was told by police a week prior to the decision that a ban was being considered. The SAG will meet again early in the week commencing October 20.
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Have away fans been banned from UEFA games before?
Aside from clubs being given fan bans by way of punishment for disorderly behaviour, away supporters being barred from travelling to UEFA matches has become an increasingly common occurrence.
Ajax fans were prevented from attending their Champions League match in Marseille on September 30 on the basis of "public safety and security", citing concerns around previous animosity between the supporter groups. Eintracht Frankfurt fans have been barred from their November 4 match at Napoli on similar grounds.
Last season, Legia Warsaw fans were denied entry to Villa Park for their match with Villa in the Conference League after clashing with law enforcement. West Midlands Police recounted "disgusting and highly dangerous scenes".
When Norway hosted Israel in a World Cup qualifying match in October, the travelling contingent was reduced to around 100 matchgoing fans, and an additional police presence was implemented due to planned pro-Palestine protests before the game. A Guardian journalist in Oslo reported there were 10 arrests after a barrier was pulled down outside the stadium, but that "authorities emphasised that most had behaved well".