UK regrets Maccabi Tel Aviv’s refusal of away tickets for Europa League game at Villa Park
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Israeli police disperse a crowd of football club supporters outside a stadium after an Israeli Premier League match between Hapoel and Maccabi was cancelled in Tel Aviv, Israel.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Britain’s government and fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv said on Oct 21 they regretted the Israeli football club’s decision to turn down tickets for an upcoming match at Aston Villa, even as ministers worked to overturn a police ban on away supporters.
Israeli sports teams have become a focus for pro-Palestinian protesters during the conflict in Gaza.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had said it was wrong
But Maccabi said on Oct 20 the “toxic atmosphere” put its fans at too much risk.
A British government spokesperson said it had been working round the clock
“We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation, but we respect their right to do so,” the spokesperson said.
“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 anti-Semitism or extremism on our streets.”
Earlier, UK Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy told the House of Commons the final decision must ultimately be made by the police.
However, she also said the country “should be appalled” that the initial assessment was “based in no small part on the risk posed to those fans that are attending who support Maccabi because they are Israeli, and because they are Jewish”.
West Midlands Police said the initial ban was based on current intelligence and past incidents, citing violence around a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi in Amsterdam in 2024.
Anti-Israeli gangs on scooters chased and beat Maccabi fans, while Maccabi supporters burned a Palestinian flag, pulled down another and vandalised a taxi, said Dutch police who made more than 60 arrests.
Birmingham has been the scene of pro-Palestinian rallies since the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas began.
A number of British left-wing independent and Green politicians backed the ban, with some calling for the wider exclusion of Israeli teams from international competitions due to the government’s actions in Gaza.
Earlier in October, two Jewish men died in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, that police linked to Islamist extremism.
Maccabi said on Oct 20 they were working to stamp out racism within their fan base but also said the club were being maligned by people exploiting isolated incidents.
The announcement came only a day after Israeli police called off the Israeli Premier League match between Maccabi and city rivals Hapoel because of “riots” between rival fans.
Maccabi insisted their supporters were not involved in the unrest, while their statement questioned the motivation of those leading calls for a ban on away fans.
“We acknowledge the efforts of the UK government and police to ensure both sets of fans can attend the match safely, and are grateful for the messages of support from across the footballing community and society at large,” said the club.
“Our first-team squad consists of Muslims, Christian and Jewish players and our fan base also crosses the ethnic and religious divide. We have also been working tirelessly to stamp out racism within the more extreme elements of our fan base.”
The statement added: “It is clear that various entrenched groups seek to malign the Maccabi Tel Aviv fan base, most of whom want nothing to do with racism or hooliganism of any kind, and are exploiting isolated incidents for their own social and political ends.
“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.”
Some disappointed Maccabi fans urged a rethink.
Ohad Moser, 40, told Reuters the police ban represented succumbing to violence, hatred and anti-Semitism. “We are still hopeful that something might change in the week to come, so that all fans can enjoy a sport match, regardless of their faith and nationality – just like football is supposed to be,” he said.
Gon Soussana said he had been to matches before in England and always felt safe. “To think in 2025 that football fans cannot go watch their team in the UK, it is very, very sad.” REUTERS
