Israeli football fans banned from attending Birmingham’s Europa League match
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Fans of Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv are banned from attending the Europa League match in Birmingham, England, on November 6.
The English team’s rival, Aston Villa, which is hosting the match, made this announcement on Thursday, due to safety concerns. Last year, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were attacked in Amsterdam during a match against Ajax.
Aston Villa said in a statement: “The club is in constant dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of fans attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”
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Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were reportedly the target of violence in Amsterdam before and during the soccer team’s match against Ajax last year. More than a dozen people have already been charged in connection with the violence, and several have already been convicted after a series of violent incidents that occurred overnight.
Pro-Palestine protesters were a staple for Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in 2025.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans hold a pro-Israel demonstration in Dam Square, lighting torches and chanting slogans before the UEFA Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on November 7, 2024. (Munib Tim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s next match against Aston Villa will be the team’s first away match in the Europa League since the pro-Palestinian protests at the stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, against PAOK on September 24. About 120 fans of the Israeli club traveled to Greece for that match and were detained behind a police cordon before entering the stadium.
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Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters raise flags at Dam Square before the UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in Amsterdam, November 7, 2024. (Jeroen Goumelet/AFP/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the European Football Association (UEFA) was considering a vote to suspend Israeli teams from participating in its competitions before it exceeds the Gaza ceasefire this month.
The London-based Jewish Leadership Council called Thursday’s decision unfair.
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Maccabi Tel Aviv player Sagiv Yehezkal warms up before the match. (Reuters/Yves Herman)
The organization said in a statement: “It is strange that visiting fans are banned from attending a football match because West Midlands Police cannot guarantee their safety. Aston Villa must face the consequences of this decision and the match must be played behind closed doors.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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