Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be able to buy tickets to Aston Villa match

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be able to buy tickets to their away match against Aston Villa next month, the Israeli club have said.

The decision comes regardless of whether a supporter ban imposed by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) is overturned.

In a statement, Maccabi said: "The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context."

Supporters of the Israeli side had been told last week they would not be allowed to go to November's game because of Birmingham SAG's concerns over fan safety.

After an outcry, the UK government said on Friday it was exploring what "additional resources and support are required" to allow "all fans" to attend.

But now the Tel Aviv side won't sell its supporters any tickets.

Explainer: Why are Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned from Aston Villa match?

Maccabi Tel Aviv said on Monday evening the club believed "football should be about bringing people together not driving them apart" and that it had "been working tirelessly to stamp out racism within the more extreme elements of our fan base".

However, it added: "Unfortunately those issues are not restricted to Israeli football, and they are problems the sport has been grappling worldwide including in the UK."

On Sunday night, "violent riots" led to Maccabi's match against local rival Hapoel in Tel Aviv being cancelled.

This game against local rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv had to be called off. Pic: AP
Image: This game against local rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv had to be called off. Pic: AP

Nine people were arrested at the Maccabi Bloomfield Stadium, a venue shared by both clubs. Hapoel were the home team for the game.

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Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban: 'Keep politics out of it'

Uproar

The original decision to stop Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham caused uproar.

The SAG - made up of local stakeholders, including representatives from the council, police and event organisers - said its decision was due to a high risk of violence based on "current intelligence and previous incidents".

Read more from Sky News:
Maccabi ban could be reversed
Analysis: Ban raises serious questions

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The announcement, supported by West Midlands Police, was based partly on the violent clashes that occurred around the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.

But, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called it "the wrong decision", and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it was a "national disgrace".

West Midlands Police said it had classified the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk based on "current intelligence and previous incidents".