Explained: Why Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from Aston Villa, if it will be reversed, and Starmer’s intervention
It is not often that a decision about a football game leads to comments from the United Kingdom’s head of government and leaders from across the political spectrum.
However, last night, after The Athletic revealed that supporters of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv would not be allowed to attend the Europa League game against Aston Villa on November 6, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the decision.
Keir Starmer posted on X: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
On Friday, the police and crime commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, called for “an immediate review” of the decision and ordered a special meeting of Birmingham’s safety advisory group (SAG) and West Midlands Police (WMP). The aim is for this meeting to take place on Friday.
Several people briefed on the situation, kept anonymous as they did not have permission to speak publicly, told The Athletic they believed the decision would be reversed and that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans would be allowed into Villa Park.
However, the UK Football Policing Unit asked for the existing structures behind making these decisions to be “respected” and said it had told the government last week about possible restrictions on visiting fans.
Keir Starmer, the UK’s prime minister, this month (Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images)
Following the decision, Villa also implemented extra security checks and precautions at their training ground on Friday.
But how was the initial decision reached? Why was this game seen as a potential flashpoint? How unusual has the political response been? And what could happen next?
Here, The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell and Philip Buckingham explain the situation.
Why was the Villa-Maccabi game seen as such a potential flashpoint?
The conflict between Israel and Gaza has led to concerns about the safety of supporters travelling for the match. There is also the potential for protests from pro-Palestine supporters and counter-protests from those opposed to them and others across the political spectrum.
The participation of Israeli football teams in European competitions has been questioned. The Palestinian FA has asked FIFA, football’s global governing body, to suspend Israel from competition several times over the last decade. There has also been pressure on UEFA, European football’s body. Israel play in European competition as they were excluded from the Asian Football Confederation in 1974 when several Arab countries refused to play them. They joined UEFA in 1994.
Tensions are high, acutely in Birmingham, with the city seeing frequent pro-Palestinian demonstrations since the start of the conflict. According to a 2021 census, around 30 per cent of Birmingham’s population is Muslim, with the visit of an Israeli team regarded as a high-risk safety concern.
Ayoub Khan, the independent member of parliament for Perry Barr, a district of Birmingham, signed a petition calling for the game to be cancelled, relocated to a neutral third country or held behind closed doors without spectators.
“We are calling on UEFA, the UK culture minister, and the club itself to urgently cancel this fixture or take immediate steps to ensure public safety and community harmony,” read the petition. “Given the fixture is now only 20 days away, it appears unlikely that it will be cancelled or relocated due to the logistical undertaking that would be required.”
On Thursday evening, Khan said he “welcomed” the decision not to allow away fans to attend the match at Villa Park. “From the moment the match was announced, it was clear that there were latent safety risks that even our capable security and police authorities would not be able to fully manage,” a statement read. “With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures.
“Sports entertainment events should be enjoyed by all, regardless of their race, ethnicity and background. But there are rare instances where the political dynamics surrounding such spectacles cannot be ignored, and where drastic action must be taken to ensure the safety of fans, players, staff and residents.”
In its statement, WMP said it “based” its decision “on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Amsterdam”.
In November 2024, Dutch police made over 60 arrests after Maccabi supporters were attacked in Amsterdam following their Europa League tie with Ajax. The evening before the fixture, police said Maccabi supporters attacked a taxi and set a Palestinian flag on fire.
The next day, police confirmed 62 arrests had been made across the city after visiting supporters were “attacked, abused and pelted with fireworks”. Five people were taken to hospital injured, with as many as 30 more suffering minor injuries.
Jacob Tanswell
Dutch police in Amsterdam after Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 5-0 defeat against Ajax (VLN Niews/ANP/AFP)
Is this because of a shortage of police officers?
No. WMP employs 700 fewer officers than it did in 2010 but it is common practice for forces across the UK to call in additional support from neighbouring units to help meet needs. That approach was seen last month for Tommy Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march in central London and is regularly used for major sporting and political events that require increased policing numbers.
Drafting in extra support will have been an option for WMP but it comes with high costs. Each additional officer will need expenses and salaries covered by the force that is bringing them in. On top of that, officers stationed outside the Villa Park footprint, including the city centre and roads leading to the stadium, will be funded by the public purse. Officers operating on private land owned by Villa, meanwhile, would need to have costs met by the club.
Philip Buckingham
What exactly is a safety advisory group?
The SAG is tasked with advising on safety around the match, and comprises emergency services, the club and other stakeholders.
Local authorities are given the responsibility of safeguarding fixtures, so they, along with the WMP, are the influential voices. SAG members in Birmingham include: Birmingham City Council’s head of resilience, local authorities, emergency responders, event organisers, and optional members, such as counter-terrorism policing, Highways England and NHS Trusts.
Jacob Tanswell
What was the process that led to the decision to ban away fans and who took it?
On Thursday, before official confirmation, people briefed on the matter told The Athletic that WMP had requested that away fans be prevented from buying tickets to the match.
Led by its chief constable, Craig Guildford, WMP had advised the city’s safety advisory group (SAG) against approving an away allocation at Villa Park, owing to the fixture being classified as a high-risk event. UEFA, the competition’s organiser, is typically expected to follow the recommendation of local authorities, as one of the foremost priorities before any match is to ensure policing needs are met.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam pre-match last year (Jeroen Jumelet/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
The situation was discussed at an emergency meeting at 1.30pm UK time on Thursday between representatives from Birmingham City Council, the SAG, Villa and other relevant parties.
A Villa statement said: “West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and on the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.
“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of residents at the forefront of any decision.”
Jacob Tanswell
What is UEFA’s position?
European football’s governing body stipulates that home teams must make at least five per cent of their stadium’s capacity available for away supporters. However, it endeavours to work alongside relevant clubs and local authorities to gauge safety risks.
Ordinarily, safety meetings with UEFA will take place before any fixture, cooperating with safety measures and the clubs involved. When asked for comment, UEFA said it wants fans “to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment, and encourages teams and the authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen.
“In all cases, local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory, such decisions being determined based on thorough risk assessments, which vary from match to match and take into consideration previous circumstances.”
In April 2023, UEFA named Villa Park as a host stadium for the 2028 European Championship.
However, Ian Austin, former Labour MP for Dudley North — a constituency 10 miles outside Birmingham — said the decision not to allow Maccabi Tel Aviv fans into the stadium brings Villa Park’s ability to host fixtures at Euro 2028 into question. He added he would be requesting the away supporter ban to be reviewed “immediately”.
Jacob Tanswell
Is this common in European competition?
There have been recent cases where away supporters are prevented from travelling to support their teams.
Away fan bans are typically handed down by UEFA as a result of poor previous behaviour, with Levski Sofia, Mainz and Rangers and Brondby all handed suspended penalties already this season. Partial ground closures are also common.
UEFA punished Rangers after their 6-0 defeat against Club Brugge in August (Kurt Desplenter via Getty Images)
One of UEFA’s most serious punishments of recent times came after Aston Villa hosted Legia Warsaw in November 2023. WMP described “disgusting and highly dangerous scenes” sparked by visiting fans, with one officer suffering burns when a lit flare was pushed into his chest.
All Legia fans were subsequently denied entry to Villa Park but 44 were later ejected from home sections of the ground. The Polish club were fined €100,000 (£87,000; $117,000) and had its fans banned from travelling to the next five European away games.
Legia Warsaw fans were banned in 2023 (David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
There has been a recent comparable example to the situation in Birmingham. Michele di Bari, Naples’ chief representative in the Italian government, banned people living in Frankfurt from buying tickets for November’s Champions League game between Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt. When the decision was made last month, Eintracht board member Philipp Reschke said: “The strategy of excluding away fans from high-risk Italian football matches — domestic and European — has become common practice.”
Philip Buckingham
Why is the prime minister involved?
Starmer’s social media post at 9pm last night took the backlash to a new level. He wrote that “antisemitism on our streets” could not be tolerated, adding the role of police was to “ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
Starmer has long fought to eradicate alleged antisemitism within Labour, calling it “a stain” on his party when running to become leader in 2020. Those sensitivities have not disappeared, and pressures have remained for the prime minister to take a firm stance against a backdrop of independent MPs, including Khan, winning seats on a pro-Gaza ticket.
Starmer led the UK’s recognition of Palestine last month before the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, but has continued to walk a diplomatic tightrope encapsulated by the controversies surrounding Maccabi’s visit to Aston Villa.
Philip Buckingham
Is it unusual for a British political leader to intervene in these issues?
Political figures in the UK do not readily wade into sporting issues unless public pressure demands comment. The proposed European Super League in 2021 had former PM Boris Johnson promising to drop a “legislative bomb” that would prevent the six English clubs from breaking away. His Conservative government also made its misgivings clear about England players taking the knee before Euro 2020. Priti Patel, the home secretary at the time, called it “gesture politics”.
However, this type of incident — stepping in over an issue of away fans attending a European fixture — carries no precedent. Starmer has recently found himself subject to abuse from football fans, most notably during England games, with his policies on the left of the political spectrum drawing criticism.
Philip Buckingham
Starmer speaking to members of the Jewish community at an event on Thursday (Carlos Jasso – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Who else has criticised the decision?
Senior figures from all corners of UK politics have been lining up. Leader of the opposition and the Conservatives Kemi Badenoch called it a “national disgrace”, while Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged the decision to be reversed. “You don’t tackle antisemitism by banning its victims,” he wrote.
Nigel Farage, whose Reform Party leads polls in the UK, said: “This takes racial discrimination to a whole new level.”
Former Labour MP John Mann, now an independent advisor to the government on antisemitism, has claimed that WMP and Birmingham council “ignored” his advice during planning for this game. “Unlike them, I spent three days investigating the incidents in Amsterdam. Both clubs want all fans there and have fully cooperated in making this happen.”
That universal political condemnation was also echoed by Jewish groups within the UK. The Jewish Leadership Council called it “perverse” that away fans should be banned if WMP could not guarantee their safety. “Aston Villa should face the consequences of this decision and the match should be played behind closed doors,” they wrote on X.
Philip Buckingham
Has there been any reaction in Israel?
As they plan for a derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv on Sunday, Maccabi are yet to make a formal comment on the decision. The issue has not gained the same intense political traction in Israel as it has in the UK, but it was condemned by Gideon Sa’ar, its foreign affairs minister, on Thursday night.
“Shameful decision!” he wrote on X. “I call on the UK authorities to reverse this cowardly decision!”
Emily Damari, who was taken hostage by Hamas and released in January, also condemned the decision as a “die-hard fan” of Maccabi.
“I am shocked to the core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK,” she wrote on X. “Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, colour or religion, and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite.”
Philip Buckingham
Have there been previous incidents of unrest involving Maccabi fans?
Owing to ongoing security concerns of hosting fixtures in Tel Aviv, it has been more than two years since Maccabi last played a European game in Israel.
Their European home ties are being played in the Serbian town of Backa Topola but each away fixture, where they are effectively flagbearers for their nation, demands high security measures.
That was evident last month for Maccabi’s trip to face the Greek side PAOK in Thessaloniki, where two protests met their arrival to call for the expulsion of Israeli clubs from UEFA competitions.
Just over 100 Maccabi fans made the trip to northern Greece, but there was still a large police cordon set up around the Toumba Stadium to ensure order was maintained.
This season’s other European away games in qualifiers (Dynamo Kiev in Lublin, Poland, Hamrun Spartans in Malta and Cypriot club Pafos) were low-key by comparison, but, as WMP made clear in their statement, police will be mindful of events surrounding Maccabi’s trip to face Ajax in Amsterdam last year.
The scale of the violence led to Israeli airline, El Al, chartering two “rescue flights” the following day. Fans were also advised to avoid wearing Jewish symbols until leaving Amsterdam.
The previous season, there was also disorder reported before Maccabi’s Conference League away game against Olympiacos. Local Greek media said a man, who had been carrying a Palestine flag, had been hospitalised and that two people had been arrested.
Philip Buckingham
Will Maccabi fans turn up outside the ground or buy tickets in the Villa section?
Local authorities hope that Maccabi fans will be dissuaded from making the trip to Birmingham. Tickets had not gone on sale to Maccabi supporters but some fans may have already booked flights and hotels. No one can buy a ticket in the home end without a booking history. If fans do travel, clashes could take place outside the stadium, rather than within it.
There is a precedent for supporter trouble outside Villa Park in recent years. In December 2023, Villa’s home fixture against Legia Warsaw in the Conference League led to what WMP described as “disgusting and highly dangerous scenes”.
Just as the match was getting underway, the police confirmed Legia supporters would be barred from entering the stadium due to a variety of offences, including violent disorder and assaulting police officers.
Potential trouble had been identified 28 days before the match, when the UK safety authorities, UEFA and Villa informed Legia that the ticket allocation available for visiting supporters would be reduced to 1,000 after “previous large scale disorder” the month before away to AZ, having observed, as Villa’s statement at the time described, “a number of Dutch police officers” injured.
In total, 46 arrests were made that night at Villa Park, with four police officers hurt and one being taken to the hospital. Two police horses and two dogs were injured as objects, including flares, were thrown in their direction. All injuries were believed not to be serious.
Jacob Tanswell
The empty away end when Legia Warsaw visited Villa Park (James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images)
Could this decision be reversed — and if so, how would that happen?
Villa will take guidance from authorities, while WMP, when contacted by The Athletic late on Thursday evening, offered the same statement it had issued before Starmer’s intervention: “West Midlands Police has a strong track record of successfully policing football matches and other high-risk public events. We are committed to delivering fair and impartial policing, while balancing the public’s right to protest with our duty to ensure public safety.
“Following a thorough assessment, we have classified the upcoming Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk. West Midlands Police supports the decision to prohibit away supporters from attending.”
Starmer’s comments have put increased pressure on authorities to reverse the decision. Home secretary Shabana Masood reposted Starmer’s remarks on X. Masood is also the MP for Birmingham, Ladywood, which is two miles from Villa Park.
Opponents to the decision insist authorities underestimated the scale of the response to the news. Other counsellors are not in total agreement with the decision and believe there is growing pressure to reconsider.
Lisa Nandy, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, is meeting with officials in the Home Office today to discuss how to resolve the situation. Steve Reed, the local government secretary, has also spoken to the local council to map out concerns set out by the prime minister.
The Home Office is urgently looking at how to help police the game — with members of the government making it clear they thought the wrong decision had been made. There are also concerns that the message being sent to the UK’s Jewish communities is the wrong one.
The push to reverse the decisions has also been criticised.
“The fact that the prime minister referred to this decision as antisemitic is wholly disingenuous,” Khan told The Athletic.
“He is conflating the Maccabi fans with the Jewish community. You’ve got to look at the violent acts that took place in Amsterdam. The prime minister has taken this out of context, and he has been irresponsible, as has Kemi Badenoch and other parliamentarians who have shifted this conversation. It’s not about Jews, it’s about hooligans, and that is what the SAG had determined. And we should be supporting our public sector workers.”
On Friday morning, Simon Foster, the police and crime commissioner for the West Midlands, requested a review of the decision. This is expected to take place on Friday.
Foster said: “The purpose of my request for a review is to enable the SAG and WMP to determine whether this decision and recommendation is appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.”
“I’m very disappointed,” added Khan, in response to the potential review. “I’m disappointed because political pressure has mounted and is questioning the operational matters. This is not something that was decided overnight. It had taken many months of assessment with intelligence that is not information that can be put out in the public domain. To pressure or apply political pressure is disgraceful.”
The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) said: “The UKFPU supported West Midlands Police in gaining access to the full details of the previous incidents in Amsterdam via the European policing network, so they had all the relevant information available to them.
“It is important that we respect and support the structures in place for making these decisions. If there are any adverse incidents, then they are the ones held responsible.”
Jacob Tanswell and Philip Buckingham
