Pressure Mounts On British Police To Lift Europa League Ban On Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans
Macabbi Tel Aviv's plays against Aston Villa on November 6.
Fans of a prominent Israeli soccer team have been banned from attending a soccer match in England, but that ban could soon be reversed.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is scheduled to play English Premier League club Aston Villa in a Europa League match on November 6 in Birmingham, England. (The Europa League is an international club tournament that is slightly less prestigious than the Champions League).
Fans of the Israeli club had been banned from attending over security concerns, which stemmed from another Europa League match in November 2024. When Maccabi traveled to play Dutch side Ajax, protests broke out between Israelis and pro-Palestine supporters, leading to violence and police intervention.
Pressure has mounted on police authorities to reverse the ban that was instituted in the wake of antisemitic attacks in England. In Manchester, two people were killed in a synagogue on Yom Kippur on October 4.
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 16: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv fans during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 22 match between Paris Basketball and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv at Adidas Arena on January 16, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)
"This is the wrong decision," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said when the ban was originally announced on Thursday. "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."
The Associated Press noted that fan bans at soccer matches are not unheard of, but that they are based on a history of violence between fans of the two clubs. As of right now, there is no violent history between fans of Maccabi and Aston Villa.
UEFA, the governing body for the Europa League, urged British authorities to ensure Maccabi fans could attend. Football Supporters Europe, UEFA’s recognized advisory and liaison group, also voiced its disapproval of the ban.
"Such away travel ban would be a first in England, and it’s extremely worrying to see the local police take that route when evidence shows that it doesn’t solve anything," it said in a statement. "To the contrary, it creates additional risk by not offering a controlled and secured environment inside the stadium."