Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned from entering the United Kingdom for the club's Europa League match against Aston Villa due to security concerns..
2025-10-21 11:56
The Athletic exclusively reported on Monday that the Football Security Council and West Midlands Police have banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from entering the country for the club's Europa League match against Aston Villa due to security concerns.
According to the repors, the ban was issued by the authorities and West Midlands Police due to security concerns regarding the extreme political and ideological views of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans and a history of violent clashes involving their fans over the past two years.
The ban has been approved by the English Football Association, and an official announcement of the ban has been made to Maccabi Tel Aviv club officials.
UEFA did not respond to requests for comment on the ban before press time.
West Midlands Police will increase security around Aston Villa's stadium, training ground, and the homes of players and staff before and after the match.
However, the police will not force officers who have to security concerns work, nor will they deliberately deploy additional officers to cover safety measures during the Premier League powerhouse's match, fearing accusations of wasting public funds.
However, the actions of the Football Security Council, West Midlands Police, and the English Football Association have not been universally accepted.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has criticized the move, fearing it could strain relations with the Israeli government and spark political conflict.
Centrists believe there's no need to conflate football and politics.
Pro-Palestinian and Muslim groups support the move.
This is the third time Maccabi Tel Aviv fans has faced protests and boycotts during a Europa League match due to its extreme ideology.
Last November, 62 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were arrested by Dutch police in Amsterdam after the club's Europa League match against Ajax for assaulting a taxi driver, assaulting passersby, throwing fireworks, and publicly burning the Palestinian flag.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are among the most extreme and violent fan groups in Israel.
Fans of this Israeli Premier League giants have supported the government's use of various means of force to attack Palestine and have committed extremely strong racial discrimination against the Muslim community, which has caused many people to stay away from them for years.
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