Maccabi Tel Aviv Says It Will Not Accept Aston Villa Away Tickets, Even IF Ban On Fans Attending Is Lifted

Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will refuse any ticket allocations for next month’s Europa League clash against Aston Villa, even if the ban on their fans attending the match is lifted. The Israeli club said the safety of its supporters could not be guaranteed and blamed the decision on “a toxic atmosphere” surrounding the game.

The fixture, set for 6th November in Birmingham, had already sparked national debate after the local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) barred Maccabi fans from attending due to a high-risk security assessment. West Midlands Police cited concerns based on recent “violent clashes and hate crime offences,” including incidents during Maccabi's match against Ajax in Amsterdam earlier this year.

However, Maccabi strongly rejected the idea that their fans were the issue. In a statement, the club said: “Our fans regularly travel all over Europe without incident and to suggest that the reason our fans cannot be allowed to travel is due to their behaviour is an attempt to distort reality.” The club added, “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.”

The UK government expressed disappointment but supported the club’s decision. A spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so.” They added, “It is completely unacceptable that this game has been weaponised to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us. We will never tolerate antisemitism or extremism on our streets.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had previously said the original ban on away fans “chooses exclusion” and promised that the government would “find the resources” to ensure the match could take place with both sets of supporters present.

Still, Maccabi made clear that the current climate left them no choice. “As a result of the hate-filled falsehoods, a toxic atmosphere has been created, which makes the safety of our fans wishing to attend very much in doubt,” the club said.

They also addressed ongoing efforts to challenge extremism within football more broadly: “We have been working tirelessly to stamp out racism within the more extreme elements of our fanbase. Unfortunately, those issues are not restricted to Israeli football, and they are problems the sport has been grappling with worldwide including in the UK.”

Recent tensions escalated further when violent riots broke out ahead of Maccabi’s derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv on Sunday, leading to the game’s cancellation and multiple arrests. Maccabi said it was not due to their supporters and accused some groups of exploiting such incidents for “social and political ends.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer weighed in last week, calling the ban on Maccabi’s fan attending the match “wrong” and declaring, “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described it as a “national disgrace.”

Maccabi closed their statement by thanking UK officials for their support and expressing hope for better days ahead: “We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”