Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv has announced it will not accept any away ticket allocation for its upcoming Europa League match against Aston Villa, even if the current ban on their supporters is lifted.
The club cited paramount safety concerns, stating that a “toxic atmosphere has been created” making fan attendance doubtful.
This refusal comes despite the UK government’s efforts to overturn the initial ban imposed by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had condemned the ban, with Nandy pledging resources to fund necessary policing to allow fans to travel safely.
Maccabi Tel Aviv thanked the government for its efforts but maintained their supporters are not the source of the high-risk classification, which West Midlands Police based on current intelligence and past “violent clashes and hate crime offences.”
A government spokesperson respected the club’s decision but called it “completely unacceptable” that the match has been “weaponised to stoke violence and fear.”
