Aston Villa have announced that fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv will not be allowed to attend their Europa League match next month due to safety concerns.
The match is set for Thursday, 6 November, and the decision was made following advice from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which handles safety at Villa Park.
Villa said in a statement that they had been told “no away fans may attend” the match, as per instructions from the SAG. The group has also contacted UEFA and the club directly to confirm this.
West Midlands Police advised the SAG that they are worried about public safety outside the stadium and whether they could handle any protests on the night.
The club added that they are in regular talks with Maccabi Tel Aviv and local authorities, with the main concern being the safety of fans and local people.
Police said the match was classed as “high risk” after a full review. This is partly due to past incidents, such as violent clashes and hate crimes during a 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.
In that match, Israeli fans were attacked in the city in a series of hit-and-run incidents. The trouble followed two days of tension, which included Maccabi supporters chanting anti-Arab slogans, damaging a taxi, and pulling down a Palestinian flag.
