UEFA has urged British authorities to ensure Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters are allowed to attend their Europa League fixture at Aston Villa after police and local officials moved to bar Israeli fans from the November 6 match in Birmingham.
The decision, taken following advice from West Midlands Police, has ignited a fierce political row and drawn criticism from across football.
Only home fans will now be permitted inside Villa Park after the city’s Safety Advisory Group refused to issue a safety certificate allowing visiting supporters to attend.
Birmingham City Council said the restriction followed “a collective decision” based on security concerns raised by police.
UEFA, which organises the Europa League, has made clear its opposition to the ban, insisting fans must be able to follow their teams across Europe.
“UEFA wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment,” the governing body said.
“We encourage both clubs and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen.”
UEFA has urged British authorities to ensure Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters are allowed to attend their Europa League fixture at Aston Villa after police and local officials moved to bar Israeli fans from the November 6 match in Birmingham
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The governing body added that local authorities are ultimately responsible for safety decisions but stressed that risk assessments “must take into consideration previous circumstances” rather than impose blanket bans.
Police classified the Villa–Maccabi clash as a “high-risk” event, citing intelligence and the violent scenes that marred last season’s Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi in Amsterdam.
A police spokesperson said: “Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety.”
Israeli fans clashed with police during a match in the Netherlands last year
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Sir Keir Starmer condemned the move as “the wrong decision,” insisting that “we will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.”
He added: “The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game without fear of violence or intimidation.”
The Jewish Leadership Council also criticised the decision, describing it as “perverse” and arguing that Aston Villa should face consequences for the ban.
“The match should be played behind closed doors,” a spokesperson said.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the situation “a national disgrace,” accusing the government of failing to guarantee Jewish fans’ safety.
“If Jewish supporters cannot attend football matches in Britain, it sends a horrendous and shameful message,” she said.
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Sir Keir Starmer has criticised the decision to ban Israeli fans from Maccabi Tel Aviv's Europa League clash with Aston Villa
| PAIndependent MP Ayoub Khan, whose Birmingham constituency includes Villa Park, defended the decision.
“From the moment the match was announced, it was clear there were latent safety risks that even our capable security and police authorities would not be able to fully manage,” he said.
“It was only right to take drastic measures.”
Aston Villa confirmed in a statement that the Safety Advisory Group had instructed the club not to admit away fans.
Aston Villa have won both of their Europa League fixtures so far | PAEarlier this week, thousands demonstrated outside Israel’s World Cup qualifier in Italy, where the team bus was escorted by military vehicles and snipers were stationed on nearby rooftops.
Amid those scenes, UEFA now finds itself in a mounting dispute over whether Israeli supporters can safely follow their team.