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Fans of Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv are barred from attending a Europa League match in Birmingham, England, on November 6.
The team’s English opponent, Aston Villa, which is hosting the match, made the announcement Thursday, citing security concerns. Last year, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were attacked in Amsterdam during a match against Ajax.
“The club is in ongoing 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,” Aston Villa said in a statement.
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Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly targets 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-Palestinian protesters have been a common sight among Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in 2025.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans stage a pro-Israel protest at Dam Square, lighting flares and chanting slogans before the UEFA Europa League match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 7, 2024. (Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s upcoming match against Aston Villa will be the team’s first away match in the Europa League since the pro-Palestinian protests that took place at the Thessaloniki Stadium, Greece, against PAOK on September 24. Around 120 supporters of the Israeli club traveled to Greece for the match and were held behind a police cordon before entering the venue.
AFTER Trump declares “the war is over,” Hamas executes its rivals in Gaza to reassert its control.
Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters wave flags at Dam Square before the Europa League soccer match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in Amsterdam, November 7, 2024. (JEROEN JUMELET/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, European soccer body UEFA was considering a vote to suspend Israeli teams from its competitions before the decision was overridden this month by the ceasefire in Gaza.
The London-based Jewish Leadership Council called Thursday’s decision unfair.
Sagiv Yehezkal of Maccabi Tel Aviv during the warm-up before the match. (Reuters/Yves Herman)
“It is perverse that away supporters are banned from a football match because West Midlands Police cannot guarantee their safety. Aston Villa should face the consequences of this decision and the match should be played behind closed doors,” the organization said in a statement.
