Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv will not accept any away fan tickets for their Europa League match at Aston Villa next month, even if local authorities reverse the decision to ban their supporters, they said.
The ban on Monday followed safety concerns raised by British Police, who cited potential protests outside Villa Park, following demonstrations at Israel's recent World Cup qualifiers in Oslo, Norway and Udine, Italy.
"Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG)," Aston Villa said in its statement last week.
Maccabi Tel Aviv said that it will refuse any allocation offered on behalf of away fans.
"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," Maccabi said in a statement.
West Midlands Police described the match as high risk, citing past incidents, including violent confrontations involving Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters ahead of a November 2024 game in Amsterdam.
Troublesome fans
Israeli fans attending away games across Europe have increasingly been problematic, especially since the start of Israel's genocide in Gaza, due to their aggressive antics and entitled behaviour.
In September, the Netherlands' capital, Amsterdam, barred Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from entering the city if they were deemed to contribute to "occupation or racism."
The move came a year after Maccabi Tel Aviv fans stirred up violence in the city during a game with Ajax Amsterdam, in which they targeted Palestinian flags on private property.
Videos shared widely on social media depict Maccabi fans not only vandalising private property but also attacking a local taxi driver and even confronting law enforcement officials.
Other reports said the Israeli hooligans were seen chanting: "Let the IDF (Israeli army) f*** Arabs" and "There are no schools in Gaza because there are no children left."
Israel faces pressure over its genocide in Gaza, with almost every game the team is part of seeing a protest.
Norwegian fans turned Ullevaal Stadium into a sea of Palestinian flags during their 5 – 0 win over Israel in the 2026 World Cup qualifier on October 11.
On October 15, some 10,000 pro-Palestine Italian protesters demonstrated against the World Cup qualifier match against Israel.
Police responded violently with water cannons and tear gas.
