Away fans banned from attending 'high risk' Europa League match

Aston Villa have been informed that no away fans will be allowed to attend their upcoming match. Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Villa will host the Israeli side on November 6 at Villa Park.

But the away side will be empty, with the match designated as “high risk” by West Midlands Police, who said the decision was “based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crimes which occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam”.

Sixty-two people were arrested in Amsterdam amid unrest surrounding the match in the Dutch capital.

An Aston Villa statement read: “Aston Villa can confirm that the club has been informed that no away fans will be able to attend the UEFA Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday 6 November, following an instruction from the Security Advisory Group.

“The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) is responsible for issuing safety certificates for each match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.

“Following a meeting this afternoon [Thursday]SAG has officially written to the club and UEFA to inform them that no away fans will be allowed to attend Villa Park for this match.

“West Midlands Police advised SAG that they had public safety concerns outside the stadium and were able to deal with possible protests overnight.

“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.”

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “We are committed to fair and impartial policing, whilst 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 v Maccabi Tel-Aviv match as high risk.

“Although the safety certificate is issued by Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police supports the decision to ban absent supporters from attending.

“This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crimes that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.”