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The Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv said that it will not accept any allocation of tickets from Aston Villa in the event that the decision to prevent its fans from attending the Europa League match next month is cancelled.
The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) – the body responsible for issuing safety certifications for matches – informed Villa that traveling fans would not be allowed to attend the match in Birmingham last week.
The decision was widely condemned, with Culture Minister Lisa Nandy vowing that the government would “find the resources” to allow Maccabi fans to attend earlier on Monday.
But Maccabi Tel Aviv now says its supporters will not travel for safety reasons.
A club statement said, external“The welfare and safety of our fans is of the utmost importance and from the difficult lessons we have learned we have taken the decision to reject any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision must be understood in this context.
He added: “We hope that circumstances will change and we look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”
West Midlands Police said on Thursday they had classified the match as “high risk” based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including “violent clashes and hate crimes” between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of the match in Amsterdam, in November 2024.
Nandy said ministers were working together to fund any policing necessary to allow fans to attend, and SAG would review the decision if West Midlands Police changed its risk assessment.
Nandy said that the matter is broader than just securing match days, adding that it came “against the backdrop of escalating anti-Semitism here and around the world, and the attack on a synagogue in Manchester in which two innocent men were killed.”
On Sunday, the Israeli Premier League derby match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was canceled before kick-off, after what police described as “general disturbance and violent rioting.”
Aston Villa had previously informed the match stewards that they would not have to work the Maccabi Tel Aviv match, saying they understood that some “may have concerns”.
After the club announced the impending match on Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the move as “wrong” and said: “We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets.”
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